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JONEL  FORTÜNAT. 

An  admirable  translation  of  the  great  German  novelist's  latest 
masterpiece  of  fiction. 

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THE  hero  of  the  story,  Jonel  Fortunat,  is  a  grand  ideal  of      noble  and 
exalted  young  manhood. 

Surrounded  by  all  the  allurements  of  a  world  of  wealth  and  pleasure, 
with  ample  opportunities  to  enjoy  the  sensualities  of  life,  he  denies  himself 
their  indulgence  and  remains  true  to  himself  and  to  principle. 

His  noble  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  oppressed  people,  even  against  his  own 
worldly  interests  and  those  of  his  rich  relations,  the  manly  way  in  which  he 
resists  the  wiles  and  temptations  of  beautiful  but  too  passionate  women  and 
remains  true  to  his  affection  for  the  pure  and  true  in  womanhood,  constitute 
one  of  the  grandest  conceptions  of  character  in  all  the  range  of  fiction. 

It  is  indeed  a  great  novel,  and  is  full  of  wholesome  life  lessons  for  men 
and  women. 

For  sale  by  all  Booksellers  and  Newsdealers,  or  will  be  sent  by  the 
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m- 


■^] 


THE  GERMAI  PIOIEEBS 


A  TALE  OF  THE  MOHAWK 


BY 

FREDERICK    SPIELHAGEN, 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN  BY 

The  rev.  LEVI  STERNBERG,  D.  D. 


CHICAGO: 

DojjoHUE,  Henneberry  &  Co. 

I89I. 


Copyright,  1891.. 

BY 
DONOHUE,  HENNEBERRY  &  CO. 


-j^c, 


THE  GERMAN   PIONEERS 

CHAPTER  I 

On  a  certain  forenoon  in  the  month  of  April,  1758, 
there  was  unusual  activity  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York.  In  spite  of  the  disagreeable  weather — which 
had  now  already  lasted  two  days,  with  dense  fogs  and 
drizzling  rain,  and  even  then,  from  low,  gray  clouds, 
was  drenching  the  multitude — there  stood  upon  the 
quay  dense  groups  of  people  looking  at  a  large  Dutch 
three-master,  which  had  already  lain  a  couple  of  days 
in  the  roadstead,  and  now  was  swinging  at  anchor  in 
the  troubled  water  nearer  shore. 

**The  gentlemen  would  have  done  better  to  have 
remained  at  home,"  said  a  httle  man,  referring  to  two 
broad-shouldered  farmers,  who  stood  near.  "I  will 
eat  my  tailor's  goose  and  not  be  called  Samuel  Squenz 
if,  out  of  the  skin-covered  skeletons  which  have  thus 
far  passed  here  on  their  way  to  the  state-house  to 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  our  king — whom  may 
God  bless — they  can  select  a  single  ordinary  farm- 
hand." 

"Have  you  seen  them.^"  asked  another,  who   had 

just  joined  the  group. 

"Have   I   seen   them!"    replied    Samuel   Squenz. 

5 


6  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"We  have  all  seen  them.  I  tell  you,  neighbor,  had 
they  come  out  of  the  grave  after  lying  there  four 
months  they  could  not  have  more  bones  and  less  flesh. 
Surely  four  months  in  the  grave  and  four  months  on 
that  Hollander  amounts  to  about  the  same  thing." 

"The  poor  devils!"  said  the  other. 

"Ah,  what  poor  devils?"  called  out  a  man,  distin- 
guished from  those  around  him  by  his  larger  wig, 
more  careful  dress,  rotund  body,  red,  flabby  cheeks, 
and  German  accent.  "Poor  devils!  What  brings 
them  here  ?  What  are  we  to  do  with  the  starved  rag- 
amuffins, of  whom  one  half  could  not  pay  full  fare? 
Now  according  to  our  wise  laws  a  wage-sale  must  be 
openly  made,  as  was  yesterday  advertised  both  in  the 
'Gazette'  and  in  the  'Journal.'" 

"They  bring  us  nothing  into  the  country  except  the 
dirty  rags  they  have  on  and  ship-fever,  from  which 
may  God  protect  us,"  called  out  Samuel  Squenz.  "I 
kept  nose  and  mouth  shut  as  the  vermin  crept  past 
us." 

"It  is  a  sin,"  said  neighbor  Flint. 

"It  is  a  shame,"  snarled  neighbor  Bill. 

"Therefore  I  have  always  said,"  continued  the 
man,  with  the  red,  hanging  cheeks,  "that  we  should 
do  as  they  do  in  Philadelphia,  where  for  the  last 
thirty  years  they  have  levied  a  poll-tax  of  forty  shil- 
lings on  every  imported  Dutchman,  just  as  they  do  on 
a  nigger.  But  here  a  man  may  preach  and  preach, 
but  it  is  to  deaf  ears.     I  will  not  stay  out  in  the   rain 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  7 

on  account  of  these  ragamuffins.  Good  day,  gentle- 
men." 

The  big  man  touched  his  three-cornered  hat,  but, 
instead  of  leaving  the  place,  went  with  heavy  strides 
to  the  edge  of  the  quay  and  looked  at  the  ship,  which 
had  by  this  time  raised  its  anchor  and  was  being 
slowly  driven  on  by  the  tide. 

"It  is  a  sin,"  said  neighbor  Flint. 

"It  is  a  shame,"  snarled  neighbor  Bill. 

"That  is — for  Mr.  Pitcher  to  speak  so,"  cried  one 
who  now  came  up  and  had  heard  the  last  words  of 
him  who  was  just  leaving.    . 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that,  Mr.  Brown.!*"  asked 
Samuel  Squenz,  respectfully  lifting  his  cap. 

"Isn't  it  a  shame,  now,"  said  Mr.  Brown,  a  small, 
old,  lean  man,  who  spoke  with  much  animation,  and 
while  speaking  gesticulated  violently  with  his  lean 
little  arms.  "Isn't  it  a  shame  for  one  to  speak  so 
contemptuously  about  his  own  countrymen.?  Is  not 
this  Mr.  Pitcher  just  as  good,  or  as  bad  as  the  poor 
devils  there  on  the  ship?  Did  not  his  parents,  in 
1 710,  while  Robert  Hunter  was  governor,  come  to 
New  York  with  the  great  immigration,  from  the  Pal- 
atinate ?  They  were  good,  respectable  people,  whom 
I  knew  well,  who  had  a  hard  time  of  it,  and  who 
honestly  and  honorably  worked  up  to  their  subse- 
quent better  condition.  They  do  not  deserve  that 
this,  their  son,  whom  I  have  seen  running  about  the 
streets  barefoot,  should  so  utterly  forget  them    and 


8  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

slander  their  memory  as  to  change  his  name  from  the 
German,  Krug,  into  the  English,  Pitcher.  Pitcher 
indeed!  The  old  Krug  was,  I  think,  made  out  of. 
better  clay  than  this  young  English  Pitcher,  who  re- 
viles these  immigrants  and  thereby  creeps  under  the 
same  cover  with  the  Dutch  who  sell  people  for  a 
term  of  years,  and  deal  in  human  flesh  as  you  do, 
neighbor  Flint,  with  beef,  and  you,  neighbor  Bill, 
with  cheese  and  butter." 

The  old  man  thrust   his   bamboo  cane  angrily  into 
the  moist  ground. 

"It  is  a  sin,"  said  neighbor  Flint. 

"It  is  a  shame,"  said  neighbor  Bill. 

"With  your  permission,  neighbors,"  said  Samuel 
Squenz,  "I  will  not  praise  Mr.  Pitcher,  though  he 
gives  me  work.  One  must,  however,  honor  his 
father,  though  he  was  a  miserable  Dutchman.  Nor 
will  I  have  anything  to  do  with  those  who  deal  in 
human  flesh,  or  sell  people  for  a  term  of  years.  May 
the  Lord  forgive  Mr.  Pitcher  if  he  meddles  with  such 
a  business.  But  I  cannot  blame  those  to  whom  this 
immigration  is  an  open  grief,  and  who  declare  it  to 
be  injurious  to  the  commonwealth.  These  vagabonds 
take  the  bread  from  our  mouths,  and  stuff  it  into 
their  unwashed  mouths,  while  they  are  too  stupid 
or  too  lazy  to  earn  a  shilling." 

"Do  you  see  that  man  near  the  edge  of  the  quay 
close  to  Mr.  Pitcher.?"  said  Mr.  Brown. 

"The  young  farmer.?" 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  9 

"The  same.     How  do  you  like  him  ?" 

"He  is  a  noble  looking  fellow,  though  I  cannot 
approve  of  the  cut  of  his  coat." 

"Now  this  young  man  is  also  German,  called  Lam- 
bert Sternberg.  He  lives  on  Canada  Creek,  and  I 
have  just,  in  my  office,  counted  out  one  hundred 
pounds  into  his  hands,  and  have  given  him  a  com- 
mission for  another  hundred  pounds  if  he  delivers  to 
my  correspondents  in  Albany  this  fall  by  October,  on 
my  account,  the  tar  and  rosin  agreed  upon." 

"Is  it  possible,"  said  Samuel  Squenz.  "Yes,  yes, 
there  are  exceptions." 

"Not  at  all  an  exception,"  earnestly  replied  Mr. 
Brown.  "Lambert  Sternberg's  brother  is  a  fur-hunt- 
er and  has,  for  six  years,  been  in  a  mutually  advan- 
tageous partnership  with  my  neighbor  Squirrel.  So 
likewise  there  live  on  Canada  Creek,  on  the  Mohawk, 
and  on  the  Schoharie  dozens,  yes,  hundreds  of  excel- 
lent people,  who  have  in  their  veins  as  pure  German 
blood  as  you  and  I  have  English  blood.  By  diligent 
labor  they  have  placed  themselves  in  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances; and  it  would  have  gone  still  better  with 
them  had  not  the  Government,  instead  of  aiding  and 
protecting  them,  thrown  obstacles  in  their  way.  This 
time  the  young  man  was  obliged  to  take  his  long  jour- 
ney to  New  York  to  maintain  his  and  his  neighbors' 
rights  to  the  pine  trees  growing  on  their  own  ground 
— a  right  as  clear  as  the  sun — and  yet,  God  only 
knows  what  the  issue  would  have  been,  had  I  not  in- 


lO  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

tervened  and  showed  the  Governor  that  the  purchaser 
of  land,  first  from  the  Indians,  then  from  the  govern- 
ment, should  not  be  forced  to  buy  it  again  for  the  third 
time  from  the  first  swindler  who  crowds  himself  in 
and  manages  to  get  some  show  of  title." 

Mr.  Brown  spoke  with  great  earnestness.  Most  of 
his  hearers,  whose  eyes  wandered  back  and  forth  be- 
tween the  speaker  and  the  farmer  at  the  edge  of  the 
quay,  seemed  to  be  convinced.  However  Samuel 
Squenz  would  not  keep  quiet,  but  cried  out  with  a 
grieved  voice: 

"What  do  you  thus  show,  Mr.  Brown,  except  that 
these  scamps  swallow  up  the  land  to  which  we,  and 
our  children,  and  our  children's  children,  are  entitled .? 
And  one  must  not  speak  of  injury  done  to  the  com- 
monwealth! I  would  like  to  know  what  else  it  should 
be  called.?" 

"A  strengthening,"  cried  Mr.  Brown;  "a  strength- 
ening and  an  establishing  of  the  commonwealth. 
That  would  be  the  right  word.  Is  it  not  a  blessing 
for  us  all  that  outside,  on  the  farthest  border,  these 
poor  Germans  have  settled,  and,  if  God  permit,  will 
settle  still  farther,  and,  by  their  position,  are  in  con- 
stant conflict  with  the  French,  and  whom  we  have  to 
thank  that  you,  and  I,  and  all  of  us  here  in  New 
York,  can  peacefully  prosecute  our  business.  When 
last  fall  Captain  Belletre,  with  his  French  and  Indi- 
ans, fell  upon  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  who  hin- 
dered that  he  did  not  reach  Albany,  and  God  knows 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  II 

how  much  further?  We  did  not,  for  two  years  ago 
we  allowed  Fort  Oswego  to  be  taken;  and  General 
Abercrombie,  who  commands  at  Albany,  had  done 
nothing  to  protect  the  threatened  points  until  Octo- 
ber when  Belletre  came.  I  ask  again,  who  hindered? 
The  Germans,  who  fought  as  well  as  they  could  un- 
der the  lead  of  their  watchful  captain,  Nicolas  Her- 
kimer, though  they  lost  forty  killed  and  one  hundred 
and  two  prisoners,  not  to  speak  of  the  $50,000  damage 
done  by  the  thieving,  burning  murderers.  That  is  an 
injury  to  the  commonwealth,  Mr.  Squenz,  of  which 
you  may  take  occasion  to  think,  Mr.  Squenz,  and 
therewith  I  commend  you  to  God." 

The  choleric  old  gentleman  had  spoken  in  such  a 
passion  that,  in  spite  of  the  rain,  he  took  off,  not 
only  his  hat,  but  also  his  wig,  and  was  now  wiping 
his  bald  head  with  his  handkerchief  as  he  left  the 
group  and  shuffled  over  to  the  young  countryman, 
who  still  stood  in  the  same  place  on  the  quay  looking 
at  the  ship.  Now,  however,  as  the  old  man  patted 
him  on  the  shoulder,  he  turned  about  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  one  who  has  just  been  awakened  out  of  a 
dream.  It  could  not  have  been  a  pleasant  dream.  On 
the  fine,  dark-complexioned  face  there  was  a  trace  of 
deep  grief,  and  the  large,  blue,  kind,  German  eyes 
looked  very  sad. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Brown,"  said  the  young  man,  "I  supposed 
you  had  long  since  gone  home." 

"While  I  stood  but  ten  steps  behind  you  and  spent 


12  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

my  breath  in  defending  you !  But  so  it  is  with  you 
Germans.  To  strike  home  when  it  comes  to  the 
worst — that  you  can  do;  but  to  speak  for  yourselves 
— to  maintain  your  rights  against  the  simpletons  who 
look  at  you  over  the  shoulder  and  who  shrug  the 
shoulder  over  you — that  you  leave  for  others." 

"What  has  happened,  Mr.  Brown.?"  said  the  young 
man. 

"What  has  happened!  The  old  story.  I  have 
again  rushed  into  the  fire  for  you  sleepy  fellows—  I, 
an  old  fool.  Do  you  think — but  for  this  morning 
I  have  already  vexed  myself  enough  on  your  ac- 
count, and  I  can  surely  reckon  on  having  an  attack  of 
the  colic  this  evening.  And  this  weather  besides — 
the  devil  take  the  weather,  and  the  Germans  too! 
Come,  Mr.  Lambert,  come." 

The  old  man  moved  about  uneasily. 

"I  would  like  to  stay  a  little  longer,"  said  Lambert, 
hanging  back. 

"You  have  no  time  to  lose  if  you  mean  to  go  by  the 
Albany  boat.  It  leaves  at  three  o'clock,  and  you  also 
wanted  to  get  your  horse  shod." 

Lambert  turned  from  the  ship,  which  by  this  time 
had  come  quite  near,  to  his  business  friend,  and  from 
him  again  to  the  ship. 

"If  you  will  permit  me,"  said  Lambert. 

"Do  as  you  please,"  cried  the  old  man.  "You  may 
look  at  your  countrymen  and  spoil  your  appetite  for 
dinner.     Or  you  may  buy  a  young  blockhead  who  will 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  13 

eat  the  hair  off  your  head,  or  a  handsome  maid  who 
would  not  behave  at  home,  but  is  naturally  good 
enough  for  you — or  perhaps  rather  two — that  your 
brother  Conrad  may  also  be  provided  for.  Do  as  you 
please,  but  let  me  go  home.  We  eat  at  twelve,  and 
Mrs.  Brown  likes  her  guests  to  be  punctual.  Good 
morning." 

Mr.  Brown  held  down  his  hat,  which  the  wind 
threatened  to  take  off,  with  his  bamboo  cane,  and 
hurried  away  at  the  moment  when  a  dull  sound  from 
Broadway  indicated  that  the  immigrants  were  return- 
ing. 


CHAPTER  II 

There  entered  new  life  into  the  wet  and  surly  groups 
on  the  quay.  Men  stood  on  tiptoe  and  eagerly  looked 
in  the  direction  of  Broadway,  where  the  wretched 
crowd  now  appeared.  Others  pressed  forward  to  the 
point  where  the  ship  was  to  land.  It  was  now  so 
near  that  they  were  already  casting  over  the  ropes. 
Lambert,  who  still  stood  on  the  outer  edge,  saw  him- 
self surrounded  by  a  dense  mass,  and  thus  kept  in  a 
place  he  would  now  have  gladly  surrendered  to  any- 
one whose  eyes  and  heart  could  better  endure  the 
sight  of  the  utmost  human  wretchedness. 

The  scene  of  this  misery  was  the  deck  of  the  ship 
above  and  below,  of  which  he  now  had  an  unob- 
structed view.  Already,  from  a  distance,  had  the 
confusion  caused  by  the  commingled  piles  of  bales, 
casks,  trunks,  and  baskets,  between  which  wives  and 
children  were  wandering  about,  filled  him  with  sad 
reflections.  But  his  heart  ceased  to  beat  and  his 
chest  to  heave  as,  clearer  and  clearer,  and  now  also 
very  near,  the  crying  and  scolding,  weeping  and  la- 
menting of  the  unfortunate  people  struck  upon  his  ear. 
As  his  glance  wandered  from  one  pitiable  object  to 
another,    he   everywhere   saw  countenances   deathly 

pale  and  disfigured   by  hunger    and   sickness,  out  of 

14 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 5 

whose  deep,  sunken  eyes  dull  despair  and  frenzied 
anxiety  fearfully  glared.  As  they  thus  stood  in  mo- 
tionless groups  it  seemed  as  if  they  had  lost  all  power 
and  inclination  to  do  anything  for  themselves.  Their 
heads  were  stretched  forward  like  timid  sheep  which 
the  butcher's  dog  has  driven  to  the  door  of  the  slaugh- 
ter house.  Thus  they  hastened  and  hurried  and 
crowded  between  the  chests  and  casks,  and  greedily 
gathered  up  their  poor  belongings.  Elsewhere,  in 
confused  quarreling  and  strife,  they  snatched  bundles 
from  each  other,  and  threatened  each  other  with  their 
fists,  until  the  supercargo  intervened  and  with  scold- 
ing and  pushing  and  striking,  separated  them.  Lam- 
bert could  endure  the  horrible  sight  no  longer,  and 
pressed  back  the  crowd  which  now  surrounded  him 
like  a  wall.  As  he  involuntarily  cast  a  last  glance 
over  the  deck  it  fell  upon  a  form  which  he  had  not 
before  noticed,  and  at  once  he  stopped  as  though 
struck  by  lightning. 

Directly  before  him  there  leaned  against  a  great 
pile  of  bales  a  young,  tall,  slender  maiden.  Her  right 
arm  was  thrust  against  the  bales,  the  hand  support- 
ing her  head.  Her  other  arm  hung  at  her  side.  Her 
face,  of  which  he  had  only  a  side  view,  was  so  thin 
and  pale  that  the  long,  dark  eyelashes  were  brought 
out  with  singular  distinctness.  The  lustrous  black 
hair  was  wound  around  the  head  in  comely  braids, 
and  her  dress,  though  poor  and  threadbare  enough, 
was  more  tasty  than   that   of  the   other   women,  to 


l6  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

whom  she  was  evidently  greatly  superior  in  refine- 
ment. As  though  a  powerful  enchantment  had  seized 
him,  Lambert  could  not  withdraw  his  gaze  from  this 
face.  He  had  never  seen  anything  so  beautiful.  He 
had  not  thought  that  anything  so  beautiful  could  be 
found.  Nearly  breathless,  without  knowing  what  he 
was  doing — even  forgetting  where  he  was — he  looked 
at  the  stranger  as  though  she  were  an  apparition, 
until,  with  sad  shaking  of  the  head,  she  let  her  sup- 
porting arm  fall  and,  passing  around  the  pile  of  goods 
against  which  she  had  leaned,  she  disappeared  from 
his  sight. 

At  this  moment,  back  on  the  Battery,  there 
sounded  a  great  shouting  and  drumming  and  fifing. 
The  crowd  pressed  forward,  and  was  again  pushed 
back.  The  police  who  accompanied  the  immigrants 
had  already  had  trouble  with  the  mob  all  the  way 
through  the  city,  and  now,  having  to  pass  through 
the  compact  mass  on  the  quay  to  the  gang-plank, 
were  obliged  to  use  all  their  authority  and  to  swing 
their  clubs  indiscriminately.  So  it  happened  that 
over  the  living  wall  before  him  Lambert  saw  now  and 
then  a  pale,  grief-stricken  countenance,  as  the  poor 
immigrants  passed  over  the  narrow  gangway  to  the 
deck  of  the  ship.  Here  those  who  had  just  returned 
on  board  immediately  began  to  call  for  their  wives 
and  children,  some  of  whom,  overcome  by  fatigue, 
did  not  move,  while  others  hastened  to  their  husbands 
as  soon  as  possible.     A  dreadful  confusion    arose, 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 7 

which  was  increased  by  the  ship's  crew  rushing  into 
the  crowd  and  making  room  by  pushing  and  striking 
indiscriminately.  It  had  reached  its  highest  point 
when  those  on  the  quay,  headed  by  the  stout  Mr. 
Pitcher,  in  a  close  mass  pushed  on  from  behind  and 
blocked  up  the  way  to  every  one  who,  with  his  bun- 
dles and  packs,  desired  to  leave  the  ship.  The  men 
screamed,  the  women  cried,  the  children  whimpered, 
the  captain  and  sailors  cursed  and  swore.  The  police 
swung  their  clubs.  It  was  a  dreadful  chaos,  in  which 
Lambert's  anxious  glances  were  ever  peering  about  for 
the  poor  girl  who  was  looking  on  the  tumult  which 
was  roaring  around  her,  so  lonely,  so  forsaken,  so 
still  and  patient.  As  he  saw  her  form  again  emerge, 
now  on  the  forward  part  of  the  deck,  he  held  back  no 
longer.  Without  further  thought,  with  a  mighty 
spring  from  the  edge  of  the  quay,  he  swung  himself 
aboard  of  the  ship  and  hastened  to  the  point  where 
he  had  last  seen  her.  He  knew  not  why  he  did  this. 
He  had  no  conception  of  what  he  should  say  to  the 
maiden  when  he  should  reach  her.  It  seemed  as 
though  he  was  drawn  by  unseen  hands,  which  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  resist,  and  to  whose  guidance 
he  willingly  committed  himself. 

After  he  had  approached  her,  lost  sight  of  her, 
feared  at  last  that  he  should  not  again  find  her,  he 
suddenly  came  near  her.  She  had  kneeled  on  the 
deck  before  a  couple  of  children — a  boy  and  a  girl 
from  six  to  eight  years  old — whose  threadbare  gar- 


1 8  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

ments  she  was  fixing,  and  was  speaking  to  a  woman 
who  stood  near  with  quite  a  small  child  in  her  arms, 
and  who  was  constantly  scolding,  till  the  husband 
came  up  and  dragged  the  children  away,  scolding  and 
cursing.  His  wife  followed  him  without  a  word  or 
look  of  thanks  to  her  who  was  left  behind.  She 
slowly  arose  and  looked  sadly  at  those  who  were  leav- 
ing. She  followed  them,  tied  a  small  piece  of  cloth 
which  she  had  worn,  about  the  neck  of  the  smallest 
child,  and  then  slowly  returned  to  the  place  where  the 
family  had  left  her.  Her  countenance  was  more  sad 
than  before.      Tears  rolled  over  her  pale  cheeks. 

"Can  I  be  of  any  help  to  you,  madam.!"'  asked 
Lambert. 

The  girl  raised  her  dark  eyelashes,  and  looked 
searchingly  with  her  large  brown  eyes  at  his  kind, 
honorable  face. 

"Nobody  can  help  me,"  said  she. 

"Have  you  no  parents,  no  relatives,  no  friends.^" 
asked  Lambert. 

"I  have  nobody — nobody,"  replied  the  maiden,  and 
turned  herself  partly  away  that  she  might  hide  the 
tears  which  now  burst  forth  in  streams  from  her  eyes. 

Lambert's  eyes  also  became  moist.  The  trouble 
of  the  poor  girl  pressed  heavily  on  his  heart. 

"Can  you  not  leave  the  ship.!*"  he  further  inquired. 

The  unhappy  one,  without  answering,  only  wept 
the  more. 

"Do  not  consider   me  too  pressing,  kiijd   niaiden, 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  19 

I  have  seen  you  standing  so  forsaken  that  my  pity 
has  been  awakened.  And  now  you  yourself  say 
that  you  are  alone,  that  you  have  nobody  to  help 
you,  and  that  nobody  can  help  you.  Perhaps  I  can 
do  so  if  you  will  confide  in  me.  I  will  surely  do  all 
that  is  in  my  power." 

While  the  young  man  thus  spoke  the  girl  wept 
more  and  more  gently.  She  now  again  turned  her 
pale  face  to  him  and  said: 

"I  thank  you,  kind  man.  I  thank  you  with  my 
whole  heart,  and  may  God  bless  you  for  the  compas- 
sion you  have  felt  for  a  poor,  helpless  creature.  But 
help — that  indeed  you  cannot.  Who  could  help  me  ? 
By  whose  help  could  I  leave  this  ship.?" 

Her  countenance  took  on  an  unusual  expression. 
She  looked,  with  staring  eyes,  over  the  bulwarks 
into  the  water  which  rose  and  fell  at  the  ship's  bow. 
"For  me  there  is  but  one  means  of  escape,"  she 
murmured. 

At  this  moment  a  man,  cursing,  pressed  through  the 
crowd,  which  made  room  for  him  in  all  directions.  He 
was  an  under-sized,  broad-shouldered  fellow  with  a 
red  wig,  a  brutal  countenance  and  a  pair  of  green 
eyes  which  glittered  maliciously. 

He  put  on  quite  an  air,  dressed  in  his  ship  uniform, 
and  drew  after  him  a  sturdy  farmer,  who  seemed  to 
follow  him  reluctantly  and  who  looked  at  the  maiden 
with  dull,  staring  eyes,  while  he  in  the  uniform  ap- 
proached, and  with  legs  spread  apart,  called  out  in 
poor  German: 


20  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"So,  Miss  Catherine  Weise,  I  have  soon  picked  up 
a  man.  He  is  the  richest  farmer  within  ten  miles,  as 
he  says  himself,  and  needs  a  capable  maid-servant  on 
his  farm.  He  has  already  bid  forty  on  my  bare  rec- 
ommendation. That  indeed  is  scarcely  the  half,  but 
perhaps  he  will  now  give  the  whole  amount,  after  he 
has  himself  seen  you,  and  has  convinced  himself  that 
I  did  not  lie  to  him.  What  do  you  think,  Mr.  Triller.^ 
Isn't  she  a  stunner.-*  Are  you  now  willing  to  fork 
over,  ha.?" 

He  struck  the  farmer  on  the  shoulder  and  broke  out 
in  uproarious  laughter. 

"Let  it  be  forty-five,  captain,"  said  the  farmer, 
"and  I'll  take  her  as  she  stands." 

"Not  a  shilling  under  ninety,"  cried  the  captain, 
"not  a  shilling,  even  if  I  should  have  to  keep  her  my- 
self. No,  she  would  gladly  stay  with  me.  Isn't  it 
true,  Miss  Catherine.?     She  is  a  stunner." 

"Don't  touch  her;  if  you  don't  want  your  skull 
cracked!"  cried  Lambert. 

The  captain  took  a  step  back  and  stared  at  the 
young  farmer,  whom  he  had  not  before  noticed,  and 
who  now  stood  before  him  with  glowing  eyes  and 
balled  fists. 

"Oho!"  he  exclaimed,  "who  are  you.?  Do  you 
know  that  I  am  Captain  Van  Broom .?  Do  you  know 
that  I  shall  at  once  throw  you  into  the  water.?  What 
is  your  name.?     What  do  you  want.?" 

He  took  a  step  back,  having  said  the  last  words  in 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  21 

a  far  less  confident  tone.  He  did  not  think  it  pru- 
dent to  have  anything  further  to  do  with  a  man  of  so 
resolute  an  appearance  and  so  evidently  superior  to 
himself  in  bodily  strength. 

"My  name  is  Lambert  Sternberg,  from  Canada 
Creek,"  said  the  young  man.  "There  live  in  the 
city  of  New  York  respectable  citizens  who  know  me 
well;  and  what  I  want  I  will  soon  tell  you,  if  you 
will  kindly  step  aside  with  me  for  a  few  moments." 

"As  you  wish;  as  you  wish,"  snarled  the  captain. 

"In  a  moment,"  said  Lambert.  He  approached 
the  maiden,  who  stood  trembling  violently,  and  said 
to  her  in  a  low  tone,  "Catherine  Weise,  will  you  ac- 
cept me  as  your  protector,  and  permit  me  to  do  for 
you  what,  under  such  circumstances,  an  honorable 
man  should  do  for  a  helpless  maiden.?" 

A  deep  blush  spread  over  Catherine's  face  She 
fixed  her  dark  eyes  upon  her  questioner  with  a  pecul- 
iar expression  that  made  his  inmost  heart  flutter. 
She  tried  to  answer,  but  there  came  no  sound  from 
her  trembling  lips. 

"Wait  here  for  me,"  said  the  y©ung  man. 

He  turned  to  the  captain  and  went  with  him  to  a 
retired  part  of  the  deck.  The  robust  farmer  had 
turned  aside  and  felt  no  further  interest  in  the  deal, 
after  he  saw  that  another  purchaser  for  the  merchan- 
dise was  found,  and  which,  all  things  considered,  was 
entirely  too  dear  for  him. 

"Now,  Mr.  Broom,"  said  Lambert,  as  he  overtook 
him,  "I  am  at  your  service." 


22  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"I'll  be if  I  know  what   you  want,"  said   the 

captain. 

"Simply  this:  To  take  that  girl  there,  whom  you 
call  Catherine  Weise,  with  me  from  the  ship,  and  that 
at  once." 

"Oho!"  said  the  captain,  "you  are  in  a  hurry.  Has 
she  told  you  how  much  she  owes  us .?" 

"No,"  said  Lambert,  "but  I  have  already  heard  the 
amount  from  you." 

"Ninety  pounds!  sir,  ninety  pounds!  That  isn't  a 
small  matter,"  cried  the  captain. 

"I  suppose  you  will  be  able  to  show  that  the  maiden 
owes  you  so  much.     You  will  then  find  me  ready." 

The  captain  cast  a  grim  side-glance  at  the  young 
man  like  a  hyena  driven  from  his  prey  by  a  leopard. 
He  would  have  liked  to  have  the  beautiful  booty  for 
himself,  but  was  far  too  shrewd  a  business  man  not  to 
avail  himself  of  such  a  chance.  Besides,  the  Messrs. 
Van  Sluiten  and  Co.,  in  Rotterdam,  and  Mr.  Pitcher, 
who  was  probably  now  in  the  ship's  office  engaged 
with  the  book-keeper,  had  also  a  word  to  say.  So 
he  spoke  in  what  was  for  him  an  unusually  courteous 
tone,  instead  of  the  coarse  one  he  had  just  used: 

"If  I  can  show  it  ? — yes,  sir.  For  what  do  you  take 
Captain  Van  Broom  ?  With  us  about  everything  is 
booked  twice,  sir,  in  farthings  and  .pence.  Are  you 
surprised  that  the  amount  is  so  large  ?  I  will  make 
it  clear.  The  girl  is  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Weise,  who  died  eight  days  ago,  and  was  buried  with 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  23 

all  honor  at  sea.  He  was  a  preacher  in  the  region  from 
which  most  of  my  passengers  come.  On  the  way,  I 
must  say  it  of  him,  he  put  himself  to  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  for  his  filthy  people  and  did  for  them  more 
than  his  strength  would  bear,  while  they  in  South- 
ampton suffered  with  hunger  and  cold;  and  now  on 
the  voyage  provisions  with  us  became  somewhat 
scarce,  and  the  water — well,  one  has  a  heart  in  his 
breast,  and  I  yielded  to  the  preacher  when  he  came 
to  borrow  for  his  people.  So  it  has  happened  that 
his  account  has  run  up  a  little  higher  than  is  usual. 
At  the  best  not  much  was  to  be  got  from  the  old 
man,  though  there  still  remained  the  girl,  for  whom 
doubtless  a  purchaser  could  be  found.  So  I  have 
taken  the  risk,  and  have  by  degrees  given  them  credit 
for  a  hundred  pounds." 

"You  before  said  ninety." 

"A  hundred  pounds,  by !"  shrieked  the  captain. 

"Come  with  me  into  the  office.  There  I  will  show 
^you  in  black  and  white.  You,  there,  supercargo,  see 
to  it  that  the  thieving  vagabonds  do  not  slip  from 
aboard.  And  you,  Mr.  Jones,  do  not  leave  the  gang- 
plank; and  keep  with  you  Jean  and  Jacob,  and  knock 
any  one  down  who  tries  to  leave  the  ship  without  a 
pass.  Should  any  one  ask  for  me,  he  must  wait  a 
moment.  I  have  to  speak  with  this  gentleman.  Will 
you  follow  me,  Mr.  Sternberg.?" 

The  captain  opened  the  door  of  a  low  and  spacious 
cabin  which  was  built  on  the  deck.     A  dark-complex- 


24  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

ioned  man,  with  immense  brass  rings  in  his  ears,  sat 
at  a  table  covered  with  thick  books  and  papers,  dili- 
gently writing.  Near  him  stood  Mr.  Pitcher,  with 
his  red,  bloated,  flabby  cheeks,  and  on  his  wig-cov- 
ered head  his  three-cornered  hat,  looking  over  his 
shoulder. 

"Ah!"  said  the  captain,  "here  you  are,  too,  Mr. 
Pitcher.  That  fits  charmingly.  Now  we  can  make 
the  matter  clear  at  once.  This  is  Mr.  Charles  Pitcher, 
our  general  agent  for  New  York.      This — " 

"I  think  I  already  have  the  honor,"  said  Mr. 
Pitcher,  lifting  his  hat.  "Are  not  you  Mr.  Sternberg 
from  Canada  Creek,  whom  I  met  two  years  ago  in 
Albany.!*  Have  you  transacted  your  business  with 
Mr.  Brown.!*  I  lately  saw  you  with  him  on  Broad- 
way. Well,  other  people  want  to  live  too.  Excuse 
me,  Mr.  Sternberg;  excuse  me.  Take  a  seat.  What 
brings  you  to  us  at  this  time,  Mr.   Sternberg .!"' 

"It  is  on  account  of  Catherine  Weise,"  said  the 
captain,  in  whose  eyes  the  simple  countryman,  with 
whom  the  rich  Mr.  Pitcher  desired  to  have  dealings, 
had  assumed  a  quite  different  appearance.  "I  told 
you  about  her  yesterday,  Mr.   Pitcher." 

Between  Mr.  Pitcher  and  the  captain  there  now 
took  place  a  short  but  earnest  conversation,  of  which 
Lambert  understood  nothing,  as  it  was  carried  on  in 
Dutch.  They  ought  to  have  let  the  girl  go  free,  but 
the  hateful  man  at  the  desk  opened  a  large  book  and 
said:     "Catherine  Weise,  folio  470  to  475,  beginning 


THE   GERMAN   PIONEERS  2$ 

September  sixth  of  last  year,  in  Rotterdam,  brought 
until  to  day,  April  fifteenth,  1758,  port  of  New  York, 
amounting  to  ^^89,  los. — " 

"Ninety-nine  pounds,"  corrected  Captain  Van 
Broom. 

"Ninety-nine  pounds,"  repeated  the  man  with  the 
ear-rings.  "The  gentleman  will  require  a  conveyance 
from  us  to  which  the  proper  signatures  are  attached. 
For  this  we  charge  one  pound.  Here  is  the  form. 
Please  give  me  the  specifications  as  I  write." 

The  dark-complexioned  man  took  a  sheet  of  parch- 
ment and  read,  in  a  leaden,  business-like  voice: 

"/«  nomine  dei :  Between  Lambert  Sternberg,  of 
Canada  Creek,  and  Joanna  Catherine  Weise,  of  Zell- 
erfeld,  in  the  electorate  of  Hanover,  aged  twenty 
years,  single,  the  following  service  contract — shall  we 
say  six  years,  Mr.  Sternberg.?  It  is  the  usual  period 
— for  six  successive  years  from  this  date,  under  the 
following  conditions  mutually  agreed  upon: 

'''' Pro  primo :  Joanna  Catherine  Weise,  born,  etc.; 
agrees  of  her  own  free  will,  and  after  due  considera- 
tion, to  bind  herself  to  Mr.  Lambert  Sternberg  to  go 
with  him,  or  under  his  direction,  to  West  Canada 
Creek,  in  the  province  of  New  York,  and  there,  from 
the  day  on  which  she  shall  have  arrived  in  the  before- 
named  district,  for  six  successive  years  to  give  him  true 
and  faithful  required  maid-service,  under  no  pretense 
to  relax  it,  much  less,  without  the  consent  of  Lambert 
Sternberg,  to  forsake  his  service. 


26  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"To  this,  pro  secundo,  Lambert  Sternberg  prom- 
ises— " 

"It  is  enough,"  said  Lambert. 

"How?"  said   he  with  the  ear-rings. 

"It  is  enough,"  said  Lambert.  "I  wish  first  to  talk 
over' the  conditions  with  the  maiden." 

"My  dear  sir,  consider  the  circumstances,"  called 
out  Mr.  Pitcher,  in  a  friendly,  helpful  tone.  "When 
a  man  pays  £gg  he  can  dictate  the  conditions." 

"That  may  be,"  replied  Lambert.  "However,  it  is 
my  privilege  to  deal  in  my  own  way." 

"As  you  wish — altogether  as  you  wish,"  said  Mr. 
Pitcher.     "We  force  nobody.      You  also  wish — " 

"Simply  a  receipt  in  full  for  Catherine  Weise." 

"As  you  please,"  said  Mr.  Pitcher. 

While  he  with  the  ear-rings  wrote  out  the  receipt, 
and  Lambert  counted  out  the  money  on  the  table — 
it  was  the  same  that  he  had  received  an  hour  before 
from  Mr.  Brown — Mr.  Pitcher  and  the  captain  grim- 
aced sneeringly  behind  the  back  of  the  simpleton  who 
was  so  easily  limed,  and  never  once  looked  at  the 
famous  account  he  was  satisfying. 

"So,"  said  Mr.  Pitcher,  "this  is  finished.  Now  we 
will—" 

"Drink  to  your  happy  journey,"  said  the  captain, 
as  he  reached  for  a  rum-flask  which  stood  near  on 
the  rack. 

"And  to  the  et  cetera^  et  cetera,^^  cried  Mr.  Pitcher. 

"Good  morning,  Messrs.,"  said  Lambert,  gathering 


THE   GERMAN   PIONEERS  2^ 

up  the  receipt,  the  half-finished  contract  and  Cathe- 
rine's passage-ticket,  and  hurrying  out  of  the  cabin  as 
though  the  deck  under  him  was  afire.  Brutal  laugh 
ter  rung  behind  him.  He  stood  still  a  moment.  His 
cheeks  glowed.  His  heart  beat  furiously  against  his 
ribs.  Every  convulsed  fiber  of  his  body  urged  him 
to  turn  back  and  take  vengeance  on  the  mean  scoun- 
drels for  their  laughter.  But  he  thought  of  the  poor 
girl — how  much  more  she  had  endured,  and  that  he 
could  do  nothing  better  for  her  than  to  release  her 
from  such  a  hell,  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  deck  had  now  been  somewhat  cleared.  The 
more  fortunate  ones,  who  needed  not  to  fear  the  book 
in  the  hands  of  the  man  with  the  ear-rings,  had 
already  left  the  ship.  Those  who  were  obliged  to 
stay  sat  and  stood  around  in  groups.  Stupid  indiffer- 
ence or  uncertainty  characterized  their  wan  appear- 
ance. Curious  gazers  moved  about  among  them^ 
some  of  whom  had  come  desirous  of  making  contracts 
similar  to  the  one  which  lay  crushed  in  Lambert's 
coat-pocket.  The  heavy  farmer,  who  had  before 
made  a  bid  on  Catherine,  was  now  speaking  with 
another  girl,  who  had  adorned  her  rags  with  a  couple 
of  red  ties,  and  laughed  heartily  at  the  broken  Ger- 
man, and  at  the  jokes  of  the  man.  They  seemed  to 
be  already  agreed  on  a  bargain. 

Lambert  hastened  as  fast  as  he  could  to  the  far- 
ther part  of  the  deck,  where  he  had  already  seen 
Catherine  in  the  same  place  where  he  had  left  her. 


28  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

But  as  he  came  near  her  he  stopped.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  nothing  had  yet  been  accomplished — that  all 
yet  remained  to  be  done.  She  now  turned  and  saw 
him.  A  melancholy  smile  spread  over  her  counte- 
nance. 

"Is  it  not  true.?     Nobody  can  help  me,"  said  she. 

"Here  is  your  receipt  and  your  ticket,"  said  Lam- 
bert. 

His  strong,  brown  hands  shook  as  he  gave   her  the 
papers,  and  her  thin    white    hands  trembled   as  she 
took  them.     A  burning  red  spread  over   her   coun 
tenance. 

"Have  you  done  this  for  me?"  said  she. 

Lambert  did  not  reply,  and  was  greatly  agitated 
as  she  immediately  bowed  down,  caught  his  hands 
and  pressed  them  against  her  weeping  face  and  lips. 

"Kind  maiden — kind  maiden !  what  are  you  doing.!*" 
stammered  Lambert.  "Don't  weep.  I  was  glad  to 
do  it.  I  am  fortunate  to  have  been  able  to  render  you 
this  service.  Were  it  possible  I  would  do  the  same 
for  all  the  other  unfortunates  here.  But  now  let  us 
away.  I  have  but  a  few  hours  left.  I  must  begin 
my  homeward  journey.  I  would  be  glad  first  to 
know  that  you  are  in  safety.  Do  you  know  anyone 
in  the  city,  or  in  its  vicinity  to  whom  I  can  take  you .?" 

Catherine  shook  her  head. 

"Have  you  no  friends  among  the  immigrants  who 
perhaps  expect  you  to  accompany  them  on  their 
farther  journey.?" 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  2^ 

"I  have  nobody — nobody !"  said  the  girl.  "You  see 
everyone  thinks  only  of  himself,  and  alas!  every- 
body has  enough  of  his  own  to  look  after." 

Lambert  stood  helpless.  He  thought  for  a  mo- 
ment about  his  old  business  friend,  Mr.  Brown.  But, 
alas!  Mrs.  Brown  was  not  a  kind  woman.  To  her, 
her  husband's  predilection  for  the  Germans  seemed 
very  ridiculous.  It  did  not  very  well  please  her  to 
welcome  strangers.  He  knew  no  other  house  in  the 
city,  except  the  inn  where  he  had  left  his  horse,  and 
which  in  other  respects  was  not  desirable,  especially 
as  to  the  company  which  gathered  there.  He  looked 
at  Catherine  as  though  advice  must  come  from  her, 
but  her  eyes  had  an  anxious  and  strained  expression. 

"Do  you  mean  to  give  me  over  to  other  people.?" 
said  she. 

"What  do  you  mean.?"  asked  Lambert. 

"Kind  sir,  you  have  already  done  so  much  for  me, 
and  are  reluctant  now  to  tell  me  that  you  can  do  no 
more  for  me.  I  will  need  a  long,  long  time  with  my 
service  to  pay  the  heavy  debt.  I  know  it  well.  But 
I  would  cheerfully  serve  you  and  your  parents  as 
long  as  I  live,  and  even  give  my  life  for  you.  Now 
you  wish  to  take  me  to  others.  Speak  freely.  I  will 
gladly  bind  myself  for  as  many  years  as  they  desire 
and  make  good  your  recommendation."  She  smiled 
sadly  and  picked  up  a  small  bundle  that  lay  near  her. 
"I  am  ready,"  said  she. 

"Catherine!"  said  Lambert. 


30  ,  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

She  looked  inquiringly  at  him. 

"Catherine!"  said  he  again.  His  chest  heaved  and 
fell  as  though  he  was  summoning  up  all  his  strength 
to  speak  calmly.  "I  live  far  from  here,  full  twenty 
days'  travel,  on  the  utmost  border,  the  farthest  set- 
tler, in  an  impoverished  region,  open  to  the  inroad 
of  our  enemies,  and  which  last  year  suffered  from 
them  a  dreadful  visitation.  But  if  you  will  go  with 
me — " 

A  joyful  perplexity  showed  itself  in  Catherine's  wan 
face. 

"How  can  you  ask.?"  said  she. 

"Well  may  I  ask,"  replied  Lambert,  "and  well 
must  I  ask.  It  remains  with  you.  Your  evidence  of 
indebtedness  is  in  your  own  hands  and  I  will  never 
again  take  it  in  mine.  You  are  free  to  come  and  to 
go.  And  so,  Catherine  Weise,  I  ask  you  once  more, 
will  you  as  a  free  maiden  go  with  me  to  my  home,  if 
I  promise  you  on  the  honor  of  a  man  that  I  will  care 
for  you,  help  and  protect  you  as  a  brother  should  his 
sister.?" 

"I  will  go  with  you,  Lambert  Sternberg,"  said 
Catherine. 

Breathing  deeply,  she  laid  her  hand  in  his  offered 
right  hand. 

Then  they  hastened  over  the  deck.  Catherine 
nodded  tearfully  to  one  and  another.  She  could  not 
speak.  Her  heart  was  too  full  for  speech.  No  one 
returned  her  silent    farewell,  except  with    dumb    and 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  3 1 

hopeless  looks  which  cut  her  to  the  heart.  On  the 
long  and  terrible  journey  from  her  home  until  now, 
accprding  to  her  strength  and  beyond  her  strength, 
she  had  tried  to  mitigate  the  boundless  wretchedness 
around  her.  She  could  do  no  more  than  leave  the 
hapless  creatures  to  their  fate.  Alas!  what  a  fate 
awaited  those  who  were  here  cast  on  a  strange  shore 
like  the  scattered  fragments  of  a  wreck  that  has  been 
the  dreadful  sport  of  the  waves.  Tears  of  pity  dim- 
med her  eyes.  Her  senses  forsook  her.  When, 
holding  her  bundle  of  clothing  in  her  hand,  she  felt 
her  feet  standing  on  solid  ground,  she  knew  not  how 
she  had  got  off  the  ship. 

Catherine  said  nothing,  but  in  her  inmost  heart  she 
cried  out  again  and  again:   "God  be  praised!" 


CHAPTER    III 

The  setting  sun,  which  hung  over  the  forest  sea  of 
Canada  Creek,  poured  its  purple  beams  over  the  trav- 
elers. They  had  just  emerged  from  the  woods 
through  which  they  had  been  going  the  whole  day  by 
solitary,  narrow  Indian  trails.  At  their  feet  lay  the 
valley,  filled  with  roseate  evening  mist,  following  the 
windings  of  the  creek. 

Lambert  stopped  the  strong-limbed  horse  which  he 
was  leading  by  the  bridle  as  they  were  ascending  the 
valley,   and  said  to  his  companion: 

"This  is  Canada  Creek,  and  that  is  our  house." 

"Where?"  asked  Catherine. 

Leaning  over  the  saddle  and  protecting  her  eyes 
from  the  sun  with  her  hand  she  eagerly  looked  in  the 
direction  which  the  young  man  had  indicated. 

"There,"  said  he,  "toward  the  north,  where  the 
creek  appears.      Do  you  see  it.^" 

"Now  I  do,"  said  Catherine. 

At  this  moment  the  horse,  with  expanded  nostrils, 
snorted,  and  suddenly  leapt  sideways.  The  unpre- 
pared rider  lost  her  balance  and  would  have  fallen  off 
had  not  her  companion,  by  a  quick  spring,  caught  her 
in  his  arms. 

"It  is  nothing,"  said  he,   as  she  slid  down  to  the 

32 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  33 

ground.  "Old  Hans  acts  as  if  he  had  never  before 
seen  a  snake.  Are  you  not  ashamed  of  yourself,  old 
fellow.^  So — keep  quiet,  so!"  He  patted  the  fright- 
ened horse  on  his  short,  thick  neck,  stripped  off  the 
bridle  and  tied  him  to  a  sapling. 

"You  must  have  been  terribly  frightened,"  said  he. 
His  voice  and  hands  shook  while  he  buckled  on  the 
pillion  which  had  become  displaced. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Catherine. 

She  had  seated  herself  on  the  root  of  a  tree,  and 
looked  over  the  valley  where  now,  over  the  luxuriant 
meadow  which  followed  the  course  of  the  stream,  a 
fog  began  to  rise.  Yonder  the  sun  was  just  dipping 
into  the  emerald,  forest  sea,  and  the  golden  flames 
on  the  trunks,  boughs  and  tops  of  the  great  trees 
were  gradually  fading  away. 

From  above,  the  cloudless,  greenish -blue  evening 
sky  looked  down,  while  a  flock  of  wild  swans  was 
flying  northward  up  the  valley.  From  time  to  time 
they  uttered  their  peculiar,  melancholy  cry,  melodi- 
ously softened  by  the  distance.  A  deep,  quiet  still- 
ness brooded  over  the  primitive  forest. 

The  young  man  stood  leaning  against  the  shoulder 
of  the  horse.  There  rested  on  his  brown  face  a  deep, 
sad  anxiety.  Often  a  shadow  of  restlessness  and  fear 
passed  over  it,  widely  differing  from  the  usual  expres- 
sion of  the  smooth,  manly  features,  and  obscuring  the 
light  that  commonly  danced  in  the  large  blue  eyes. 
He  looked  now  at  the   swans,  which  shone  as  silver 


34  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

stars  in  the  distant,  rosy  horizon — now  at  the  maiden 
who  sat  there,  partly  turned  away  from  him.  At 
length,  drawing  a  deep  breath  a  couple  of  times,  he 
approached  her. 

"Catherine,"  said  he. 

She  raised  her  handsome  face.  Her  large  brown 
eyes  were  filled  with  tears. 

"Are  you  sorry  that  you  have  come  with  me?"  said 
the  young  man. 

Catherine  shook  her  head. 

"No,"  said  she;  "how  unthankful  I  should  then  be." 

"And  yet,  you  are  weeping." 

"I  am  not  weeping,"  said  Catherine,  as  she  drew 
her  hands  across  her  eyes  and  tried  to  smile.  "I  was 
just  thinking  how  happy  my  father  would  have  been, 
had  he,  at  the  end  of  his  wanderings,  found  this  still 
place.  Ah!  just  so  had  he  wished  and  dreamed. 
Still  it  could  not  be  so.  How  your  parents  will  re- 
joice to  see  you  again." 

She  was  about  to  rise.  Lambert  touched  her 
shoulder. 

"Stay  yet  a  moment,  Catherine,  I  have — I  must 
ask  you  something." 

The  anxiety  that  had  already  before  showed  itself 
in  his  face  become  still  greater.  His  brows  were 
contracted.     His  eyes  had  a  stern,  severe  look. 

Catherine   looked   up   at   him   with    astonishment. 

"Had  my  parents  meanwhile  died  and  you  and  I, 
Catherine,  must  dwell  alone  in  yonder  house — " 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  35 

"You  must  not  speak  so,  Lambert  Sternberg,"  said 
Catherine.  "It  is  our  duty  to  trust  the  Lord.  They 
are  doubtless  alive  and  well — they  and  your  brother. 
Why  do  we  lose  time  ?  The  evening  is  passing  and 
I  am  fully  rested." 

Lambert  wished  to  make  a  reply,  but  the  words 
refused  to  pass  his  lips.  He  stared  before  him  as  if 
in  uncertainty,  and  at  length  turned  to  the  horse,  and 
with  a  degree  of  violence  thrust  the  bit  between  his 
teeth.  Then  he  threw  the  rifle,  which  stood  leaning 
against  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  on  his  shoulder  and,  lead- 
ing his  horse  by  the  bridle,  began  to  descend  the 
rocky  declivity.  Silently  Catherine  followed,  care- 
fully looking  where  she  could  with  confidence  set  her 
foot,  casting  many  a  glance  at  those  going  before. 
The  path  was  very  steep  and  the  horse  often  slid. 
Lambert  needed  all  his  strength  and  carefulness,  and 
it  was  manifest  that  he  did  not  once  look  back,  nor 
did  he  ask  Catherine  how  she  was  getting  along. 
Meanwhile  Catherine's  heart  palpitated.  It  seemed 
as  though  the  restlessness,  the  anxiety  about  his 
home  that  spoke  in  Lambert's  words  and  looks,  had 
also  seized  her.  "Were  they  indeed  dead — were  they 
all  dead — and  were  we  two,  he  and  I,  to  dwell  in 
yonder  house!" 

They  had  reached  the  valley.  Here,  along  the 
creek,  which  flowed  in  many  windings  between  the 
meadow  banks,  there  was  an  easier  though  narrower 
path.     The  horse   thrust  forward   his   ears,    neighed 


36  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

and  stepped  along  quicker.  Lambert  had  to  hold  him 
by  the  bridle.  Catherine  walked  a  little  to  one  side. 
It  did  not  tire  the  slim,  vigorous  girl  to  come  along. 
It  was  not  the  exertion  that  caused  her  to  breathe 
with  difficulty.  The  silence  which  Lambert  had  not 
broken  for  a  long  time  pressed  upon  her  more  and 
more.  She  was  not  accustomed  to  it.  On  the  other 
hand — this  she  now  for  the  first  time  thought  of — he 
had  toyed  with  her  during  the  journey  of  weeks,  he 
had  always  talked  with  her  in  a  way  so  kind  and 
good.  Now,  however,  in  view  of  his  nearer  responsi- 
bilities he  had  become  silent.  He  did  not  speak  of 
those  belonging  to  him.  Indeed  she  would  not  have 
known  that  his  parents  were  living  had  he  not,  when 
she  asked  him  whether  he  thought  that  his  mother 
would  be  satisfied  with  her,  replied  that  she  should 
give  herself  no  uneasiness  on  that  account.  Had  he 
not  even  now  expressed  a  fear  that  he  should  not  find 
his  parents  alive  ? 

"The  kind  man,"  said  she  to  herself,  "did  not  wish 
to  make  the  heart  of  the  poor  orphan  heavy  by  tell- 
ing me  about  his  parents,  and  now  he  cannot  wait 
for  the  time  of  meeting  them." 

"Catherine,"  said  he  at  that  moment. 

"Lambert,"  replied  she,  coming  to  his  side,  glad 
that  he  had  at  last  broken  silence.  As  he  said  no 
more  to  her  as  she  waited,  she  added,  "You  wished  to 
say  something.''" 

"We  shall   not   live   there   alone,"  indicating   the 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  37 

block-house  with  his  eyes,  standing  but  a   few  steps 
from  them. 

"No,  surely  not,"  she  replied. 

He  gave  her  an  unusual  look. 

"Do  not  be  so   anxious,  kind  Lambert,  we    are  in 
God's  care." 

"No,  certainly  not,"  replied  he. 

He  had  not  observed  what  she  had  last  said,  and 
only  recalled  her  former  words.  But  it  affected  her 
painfully  when,  through  misapprehension,  she  had 
heard  denied  that  which  she  believed,  with  all  her 
heart,  as  her  old  father  had  believed  in  all  need  and 
trouble.  "We  are  in  God's  care!"  That  was  the 
text  of  his  last  sermon  which,  already  himself  dying, 
he  had  delivered  between  decks  to  his  unhappy  fel- 
low sufferers.  That  was  his  last  word  as,  a  few  hours 
later,  he  breathed  out,  in  their  arms,  his  pure  spirit. 
Did  not  her  pious  childhood-faith  approve  itself  to 
her  in  a  wonderful  manner.^  When  all  human  help 
seemed  impossible,  did  not  a  kind  man,  God-sent, 
come,  and  with  a  strong  hand  lead  her  out  of  the 
labyrinth,  and  carefully  conduct  her  over  hills  and 
mountains,  creeks  and  rivers,  through  endless  forests 
and  immeasurable  prairies.^  Never,  never,  by  the 
side  of  the  good  and  strong  one,  had  there  come  to 
her  a  feeling  of  anxiety  or  fear.  Now,  as  she  was 
nearing  the  end  of  her  pilgrimage,  should  doubt  find 
sly  entrance.?  "I  will  protect  and  help  you  as  a 
brother  does  bis  sister !"     Had  he-promised  too  much  ? 


38  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

Why  did  he  walk  so  self-absorbed,  so  still  and  dumb 
at  her  side,  now  that  he  was  so  near  his  own  hearth 
and  that  of  his  parents?  Did  he,  perhaps,  fear  that 
he  would  not  be  kindly  received  on  account  of  the 
stranger  he  was  bringing  home?  Why  was  the  house 
there  before  them  so  still?  No  barking  of  dogs.  No 
sign  of  those  who  at  the  next  moment  might  be  ex- 
pected to  rush  into  the  arms  of  the  home-comer. 
The  solitary  house  on  the  little  hillock,  gently  de- 
scending from  it  on  all  sides,  and  standing  near  the 
creek  which,  like  a  snake  through  the  grass,  was 
quietly  winding  among  the  rushes,  was  perfectly 
silent.  Silent  and  still  were  the  dark  woods  which 
here  and  there  overlooked  the  valley  from  the  heights 
along  the  shore. 

As  she  now  reached  the  house  Catherine  felt  as 
though  her  heart  would  leap  forth  as  she  observed 
that  the  lower  story,  built  of  immense  logs,  had  no 
windows  but  narrow  slits  like  the  portholes  in  the 
walls  of  a  fortress,  and  that  the  upper  story  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  low,  massive  breastwork,  and  that  the 
shingle  roof  was  quite  high.  Lambert  tied  the  horse 
to  a  heavy  ring  which  was  near  the  door,  cast  search- 
ing glances  about  the  house  and  surroundings,  mur- 
mured something  that  she  did  not  understand,  and 
finally  pushed  slowly  against  the  heavy  door  which 
opened  inward. 

He  disappeared  in  the  house,  came  out  after  a  few 
moments  and  said:  "There  is  nobody  here.  We  are 
entirely  alone.     Will  you  go  with  me?" 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  39 

They  were  the  very  same  words  that  he  had  ad- 
dressed to  her  on  the  deck  of  the  emigrant  ship,  and 
she  again  answered  him  as  then: 

"I  will  go  with  you,  Lambert  Sternberg." 
She  grasped  the  hand  which  he   had    extended    to 
her  and  followed  him  into  the  forsaken  house. 


CHAPTER    IV 

While  Lambert  had  been  engaged  within  there 
came  through  the  door  a  bright  hght,  which  Catherine 
now  saw  was  produced  by  a  large  pine  fagot  burning 
in  a  corner  of  the  room  near  a  great  stone-hearth. 
The  room  was  half  kitchen  and  store-room,  and  half 
living-room — such  as  the  young  woman  had  become 
acquainted  with  in  many  a  farm-house  where  she  had 
rested  during  her  journey.  It  was  fitted  up  with  vari- 
ous utensils  hanging  on  the  walls  and  ceiling,  stand- 
ing in  corners  and  lying  on  the  floor.  Near  the 
hearth  there  were  a  couple  of  rough  pine  chairs,  and, 
against  the  wall,  a  large  four-cornered  table,  serving 
both  for  a  dressing-table  and  for  meals. '  There  still 
stood  on  it  a  couple  of  earthen  dishes  on  which  were 
the  remains  of  a  meal  to  which  a.bear's  ham,  which 
had  not  again  been  hung  upon  its  hook,  contributed 
the  principal  part.  The  entire  arrangement  was 
planned  on  the  basis  of  the  simplest  necessity.  There 
was  no  trace  of  an  endeavor  after  grace  and  beauty, 
or  the  merely  agreeable.  This  observation,  that  the 
young  maiden  made  with  her  first  glance  about  the 
room,  fell  upon  her  heart  even  more  heavily  than  the 
empty  house.     The   house   would   fill   up  when  the 

absent  ones  returned,  but  would  she  be  happy  in  the 

40 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  4I 

company  of  those  who  lived  here,  who  called  it  their 
home  ? 

"I  must  look  after  my  horse,"  said  Lambert,  "and 
after  the  rest  of  the  things.  You  may  meanwhile  pre  - 
pare  the  evening  meal — you  will  probably  find  some- 
thing. We  will  after  that  consider  your  sleeping 
apartment.  It  looks  very  bad  here,  but  Conrad 
knows  nothing  about  order.  However,  you  can  have 
a  chamber  upstairs.  I  will  sleep  below.  I  shall  not 
go  far,  and  will  soon  be  back.      Do  not  be  afraid." 

He  said  all  this  forcibly,  in  snatches,  while  prying 
into  the  corners,  so  that  she  scarcely  understood  him. 
Then  he  quickly  left  the  house,  and  she  heard  him 
outside  untie  the  horse  and  go  away  with  it. 

"Do  not  be  afraid!  Should  I  be  so  it  would  not 
be  strange.  How  wonderful  it  all  is!  But  he  has 
been  so  heavenly  kind  to  me,  a  poor  girl;  and  surely 
his  intentions  are  as  honorable  and  true  as  ever. 
Where  can  they  be?  They  must  certainly  be  at  some 
neighbor's."  She  had  seen  at  a  distance  from  the 
creek  a  couple  of  roofs.  "Does  he  still  expect  them 
back.-*  Now  I  will  do  what  becomes  a  good  maid  who 
expects  her  master.  What  shall  I  begin  with.?  Yes, 
that  is  it.  So,  it  will  soon  begin  to  look  more  cheer- 
ful." 

She  turned  to  the  hearth  and  in  a  few  minutes  had 
made  a  bright  fire  with  the  dry,  prepared  pine  wood 
that  lay  near.  Then  she  took  from  the  hook  the  ket- 
tle that  hung  by  a  chain  against  the  wall  and  filled  it 


42  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

half  full  of  water,  which  she  drew  from  a  pump  that 
stood  directly  beside  the  hearth.  She  sought  and 
soon  found  whatever  else  was  needed  for  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  evening  meal.  She  was  uncertain  of  the 
number  for  whom  she  was  to  provide.  She  finally 
concluded  that  six  would  be  the  correct  number: 
Lambert's  parents,  his  brother  Conrad,  of  whom  he 
had  spoken  a  couple  of  times,  Lambert  himself,  and 
perhaps  there  might  be  another  member  of  the  fam- 
ily, or  they  might  bring  a  guest  with  them.  When 
she  had  finished  this  work  she  began  to  put  the  room 
in  order,  but  only  what  would  come  right  with  but 
little  labor.  "For,"  said  she,  "I  have  no  right  to  do 
it,  and  they  might  be  displeased  with  me." 

She  had  thus  quietly  labored  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  and  as  there  was  for  the  moment  nothing  more 
to  do  and  the  water  in  the  kettle  was  boiling,  she 
went  to  the  hearth  and  looked  at  the  flaming  fire, 
thinking  that  it  must  at  least  be  time  for  Lambert  to 
return.  She  heard  a  noise  behind  her.  She  turned 
half  around  and  was  greatly  frightened  when  she  saw, 
but  a  few  steps  from  her,  instead  of  Lambert,  a 
stranger  staring  at  her  without  moving,  with  a  look 
of  such  wonder,  as  though  he  did  not  believe  his  own 
eyes.  The  light  of  the  pine  sticks  burning  with  a 
bright  flame  fell  full  upon  him.  It  was  fortunate  for 
Catherine  that,  the  same  moment,  she  saw  that  the 
giant-like  man,  clothed  in  a  peculiar  half-farmer,  half- 
Indian  garb,  was  quite  young,  and  that  his  sunburned 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  43 

face  was  handsome,  and  that  his  great,  wondering 
eyes  had  a  merry  look. 

And  now  the  young  giant  leaned  his  rifle,  which  he 
had  allowed  to  slip  to  the  üoor,  against  the  table, 
gave  his  strong  hands  a  ringing  slap,  broke  out  in 
very  loud  laughter,  threw  himself  into  a  chair  which 
cracked  in  spite  of  its  strong  construction,  sprang  up 
again  and  approached  the  maiden,  who  drew  back 
somewhat,  again  began  to  laugh,  though  not  so  loud, 
then  was  silent,  shook  his  short,  brown  locks  and  said: 

"Lambert  has  done  this  well;  but  where  is  the 
other  one?" 

Catherine  did  not  answer.  She  did  not  know  what 
to  think  of  the  words  of  the  young  man  though  they 
affected  her  disagreeably,  and  her  heart  began  to 
beat  powerfully. 

The  young  giant  looked  about  the  room  as  though 
searching  whether  any  one  were  hidden  there.  He 
then  again  directed  his  glances  toward  Catherine, 
but  with  a  different  expression  in  the  large  eyes  which 
now  shone  with  a  deeper  light.  He  said  through  his 
white  teeth: 

"You  are  handsome,  girl.  I  have  never  before  seen 
anything  so  beautiful.     What  is  your  name.^" 

"Catherine,"  said  the  young  maiden,  who  felt  that 
she  must  say  something.  "Catherine  Weise.  You 
are  Conrad,  Lambert's  brother.  I  see  it  by  the  re- 
semblance. Your  brother  Lambert  has  been  very 
kind  to  me— very  kind.     We  have  just  arrived.     He 


44  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

has  gone  to  put  the  horse  in  the  stable.  I  think  he 
will  soon  be  here.  You  should  have  met  him.  Will 
the  others  also  come  soon.?'^ 

"Who  should  come.?"  asked  Conrad. 

"Your  parents,"  said  Catherine.  She  said  it  very 
faintly,  fear,  increasing  every  moment,  almost  stran- 
gling her. 

Conrad  showed  his  white  teeth.  "Our  parents!" 
cried  he,  "our  parents!  They  are  long  since  dead. 
You  must  be  satisfied  with  us  two." 

"I  will  look  for  Lambert,"  said  Catherine,  and 
tried  to  pass  Conrad  to  the  door.  Conrad  stepped  in 
her  way. 

"So,"  said  he  smiling  provokingly,  "then  Lambert 
has  brought  you  along  for  himself,  the  cunning  fellow 
— and  I  must  look  further.  Now,  as  for  myself,  I , 
am  the  younger  man  and  can  wait  a  little;  but  one  kiss, 
beautiful  sister-in-law,  that  you  must  give  me — that 
is  the  least." 

He  stretched  out  his  powerful  hands  and  with  giant 
strength  insolently  drew  the  resisting  girl  to  him  and 
kissed  her  glowing  cheeks. 

At  this  moment  the  water,  which  for  a  long  time 
had  simmered,  noisily,  sissing  and  whizzing,  poured 
over  the  edge  of  the  kettle  in  a  large  swell  into  the 
fire  which  it  almost  extinguished.  A  thick,  gray 
vapor,  through  which  the  light  of  the  fire  looked  red, 
rose  and  filled  the  room.  Catherine  tore  herself  loose, 
or  was  torn  loose,  she  could  not  tell  which ;  but  there 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  45 

were  now  two  persons  there  struggling  together,  and 
the  other  might  well  be  Lambert.  She  also  thought 
she  had  heard  Lambert  call  her  name,  and  so  again, 
as  outside  the  evening  wind  fanned  her  cheeks  glow- 
ing with  anger  and  shame. 

Within,  the  vapor  had  disappeared.  Conrad,  hav- 
ing disengaged  himself  with  a  powerful  effort  from  his 
assailant,  fell  laughing  on  his  neck. 

"Lambert,  dear,  best  Lambert!" 

"Let  me  go!"  said  Lambert,  freeing  himself  from 
the  embrace.     "Let  me  go.      Catherine!" 

He  looked  with  wandering,  anxious  eyes  about  the 
poorly  lighted  room. 

"She  has  gone  out,"  said  Conrad.  "I  will  bring 
her  again  for  you." 

"No,  no,  /will,  I  must,"  called  Lambert,  already  at 
the  door.  "At  least  take  me  along — I  beg  you,  Con- 
rad, let  me.  I  will  afterwards  explain  everything  to 
you.  Catherine!  For  the  mercy  of  God!  She  may 
have  fallen  into  the  creek!" 

"Stupid  stuff!"  said  Conrad,  who,  less  excited  than 
his  brother,  had  cast  his  eyes,  sharp  as  those  of  a 
falcon,  in  every  direction.  "There  she  sits,  there, 
do  you  see.'*" 

"I  will  go  to  her  alone." 

"You  may,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned.  And  Lam- 
bert, listen,  have  you  not  also  brought  me   a  wife  .!*" 

But  Lambert  was  already  hastening  with  beating 
heart  to  the  place  where  he  saw  Catherine  sit,  or  lie. 


46  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

he  could  not  tell  which,    on  account  of  the  distance 
and  the  evening  twilight  which  now  prevailed. 

Catherine  had  run  straight  forward  from  the  hill  on 
which  the  house  stood  until  she  saw  the  creek  at  her 
feet.  She  now  ran  along  its  edge,  scarcely  knowing 
what  she  wished  to  do,  or  whither  to  go,  driven  by 
the  painful  feeling  that  the  man  whom  she  had  trusted 
as  she  did  her  God,  had  deceived  her.  She  could 
not  make  it  clear  to  herself.  Everything  had  come  so 
quickly — had  passed  like  a  shadow  in  the  smoke  and 
mist  from  the  fire  on  the  hearth.  What  she  had  con- 
ceived to  be  a  family,  consisted  of  two  brothers  fight- 
ing with  each  other — fighting  on  her  account.  And 
this  was  the  end  of  her  long  pilgrimage,  which  she 
had  begun  in  such  a  hopeful  spirit — with  a  constantly 
increasing  confidence — yes,  at  last  with  wonderful 
joyfulness.  This  the  end!  "O,  my  God,  my  God!" 
groaned  the  young  girl,  stopping  and  looking  anx- 
iously into  the  wilderness  which  in  fearful  silence  sur- 
rounded her,  the  night  with  its  gathering  darkness 
settling  down  upon  her.     "O,  my  God,  my  God!" 

A  bridge,  consisting  of  an  immense  tree  trunk,  led 
across  the  creek  at  the  place  where  she  now  was. 
She  had  already  set  one  foot  on  the  dangerous  cross- 
ing when  it  suddenly  became  dark  before  her  eyes. 
Involuntarily  she  turned  and  sank  back  on  her  knees, 
laying  her  head  against  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  Her 
senses  forsook  her. 

Then,  as  if  from  a  great  distance,  she  heard   her 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  47 

name  called,  "Catherine!"  Again,  but  now  quite 
near,  "Catherine!"  She  opened  her  eyes.  Near  her 
in  the  grass  kneeled  Lambert.  He  had  seized  her 
powerless  hands.  His  long,  smooth,  brown  hair  flut- 
tered confusedly  in  the  evening  wind  about  his  pale, 
anxious  face. 

"Catherine,"  he  said  again,  "can  you  forgive  me.?" 
She  looked  at  him.  She  wikhed  to  say:  "Why 
have  you  done  this  to  me.?"  But  her  heart  was  too 
full.  Two  large  tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks.  Others 
followed  them  unrestrained.  She  wished  to  withdraw 
her  hands  from  those  of  Lambert.  He,  however,  in 
his  desperation,  held  her  fast,  and  in  a  despairing 
voice,  cried:  "For  God's  sake,  Catherine,  listen  to 
me.  I  meant  it  well.  I  wanted  to  tell  you  a  hundred 
times,  but  I  could  not.  I  thought  you  would  not  so 
willingly  go  with  me  if  you  knew  the  actual  state  of 
things.  I  endured  a  great  fear,  as  you  may  have  per- 
ceived, when  we  passed  through  Albany  and  Sche- 
nectady and  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  where  they  all 
know  me.  I  always  went  first  into  the  houses  to 
beg  the  people  not  to  speak  to  you  of  my  situation. 
To-day  I  left  the  road  and  came  on  through  the 
woods  so  that  nobody  here  on  the  creek  should  meet 
me.  It  was  not  right;  it  was  very  foolish;  it  was 
bad  in  me  that  I  did  not  requite  your  confidence  with 
confidence  on  my  part;  but  I  did  not  know  how  to 
help  myself.  For  God's  sake,  forgive  me,  Catherine. " 
She  had  now  withdrawn  her  hands  and   laid  them 


48  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

across  her  breast.  Lambert  had  risen.  He  brushed  his 
hair  from  his  face.  With  all  the  thoughts  that 
crossed  his  brain,  with  all  the  feelings  that  filled  his 
breast,  he  knew  not  what  more  he  should  say — what 
he  had  said. 

"Catherine,  believe  me,  oh,  believe  me!  I  had  not 
thought  when  I  reached  New  York  that  I  should  not 
return  alone  to  my  home.  I  will  take  you  back  again 
— will  take  you  where  you  will.  My  uncle  Christian 
Ditmar  and  his  wife,  my  aunt,  are  old  and  childless 
and  will  be  glad  to  have  you;  and  Conrad  and  I  will 
again  live  as  we  have  hitherto.  Conrad  has  ever 
been  to  me  a  kind  and  faithful  brother,  and  he  now 
feels  very  sorry  that  he  has  so  offended  you.  We 
will  both  watch  over  you — watch  over  you  all — as  we 
always  have  here  where  we  are  the  farthest  settlers. 
However,  as  you  will,  Catherine,  as  you  will." 

She  had  now  raised  herself  up,  and,  as  she  stood 
there  in  the  light  of  the  moon  which  had  for  some 
time  risen  above  the  edge  of  the  forest,  Lambert 
thought  that  the  beloved  maiden  had  never  before 
appeared  so  beautiful. 

She  had  folded  her  hands,  and,  not  looking  at  Lam- 
bert, but  upward,  she  said  softly  but  firmly:  "I  will 
go  with  you,  Lambert  Sternberg — come  what  will." 

They  walked  back  toward  the  house,  side  by  side, 
the  moon  shining  in  the  deep  blue  sky  with  radiant 
clearness.  From  time  to  time  Lambert  cast  sly 
glances  at  the  beloved  one.     He  bad  yet  so  mucb  to 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  49 

tell  her — so  very  much — but  he  would  not  speak  since 
she  herself  was  silent,  and  he  knew  that  she  could 
speak  more  beautifully  than  he  had  ever  heard  any 
one  speak  before.  It  was  also  so  well  and  he  was  so 
thankful  that  at  last  the  burden  was  lifted  from  his 
soul,  and  that  she  had  forgiven  him  and  would  en- 
tirely forgive  him  when  she  learned  how  much  he  had 
suffered. 

This  Catherine  had  already  perceived  in  the  painful 
vehemence  of  a  man  otherwise  so  quiet  and  self-con- 
tained. She  had  felt  it  in  the  storm  that  had  swept 
through  her  own  soul.  Now  after  the  turmoil  of  the 
storm  she  was  at  peace.  What  had  happened  ?  Was 
everything  that  she  silently  hoped,  lived  upon,  cher- 
ished, forever  destroyed.^  Or,  amid  thunder-claps,  did 
a  new  world  bloom  far  more  beautiful  than  she  had 
ever  dreamed.^ 

Thus,  lost  in  their  own  peculiar  thoughts,  they 
again  reached  the  house. 

"Do  you  come  at  last.?"  said  Conrad. 

He  was  standing  in  the  door  which  he  now  opened 
wide  for  the  two.  Then  he  gave  his  hand  to  Cath- 
erine and  his  brother  and  greeted  them  for  the  first 
time.  "You  before  took  me  so  by  surprise,"  said  he, 
"that  I  did  not  know  where  my  head  stood.  In  what 
a  confusion  everything  about  here  lay!  It  had  be- 
come somewhat  disordered  during  the  two  months 
that  you,  Lambert,  was  away.  You  know  I  do  not 
well  understand  housekeeping.     I  came  home  a  couple 


50  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

of  hours  ago,  having  been  upon  Black  River  for  eight 
days  after  beaver.  However,  instead  of  beaver  I 
found  Onandagas,  whose  manner  was  far  from  friendly 
— the  cursed  scoundrels.  I  went  to  Uncle  Ditmar's 
who  had,  meanwhile,  kept  our  cows.  Bless  has 
calved.  Ditmar  will  keep  the  calf  if  you  do  not  wish 
to  raise  it.  Take  seats  here.  I  have  meanwhile  re- 
arranged the  evening  meal  as  well  as  I  could  after  my 
awkward  interference.  There  is  baked  ham,  your 
favorite  dish,  Lambert." 

Conrad  was  unusually  busy  while  he  thus  spoke. 
He  set  the  chairs  to  the  table,  pulled  them  back,  that 
he  might  wipe  them  off  with  his  brown  hand,  and 
then  set  them  up  again.  Again  and  again  he  put 
wood  on  the  fire,  so  that  the  fire  crackled  and  the 
flame  went  roaring  up  the  chimney.  For  no  definite 
reason,  except  that  it  had  to  be  so,  he  kicked  his  wolf- 
hound, Pluto,  while  she,  having  just  come  in,  kept 
blinking  at  Catherine  with  her  large  yellow  eyes.  He 
himself  did  not  look  at  the  strange  girl,  and  when 
his  glance  accidentally  passed  over  her  face  he  be- 
came red  and  embarrassed,  and  speedily  turned  his 
eyes  away  again. 

In  this  way  he  acted  during  the  whole  meal.  He 
talked,  stood  up,  sat  down  again,  tried  to  put  things 
in  order,  but  brought  them  into  greater  confusion,  so 
that  Lambert  became  red  in  the  face  and  thanked  the 
Lord  when  he  saw  Catherine  smiling  in  a  friendly 
way.     She  thought  she  could  interpret  Conrad's  con- 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  5 1 

duct  in  his  favor.  It  was  apparent  enough  that  it  had 
not  made  an  unfavorable  impression  on  the  young 
and  beautiful  girl.  It  cost  her  no  trouble  now  and 
again  to  return  a  friendly  word  to  his  talk.  Lam- 
bert was  astonished,  and  it  sounded  strange  to  him  as 
she  once  laughed  in  the  same  cheerful,  soft  tone  in 
which  she  spoke.  He  had  not  heard  her  laugh  once 
during  her  whole  journey. 

So  he  sat  there  full  of  thankful  joy  that  everything 
had  turned  out  so  well  after  he  had  been  very  de- 
spondent and  was  filled  with  secret  unrest  like  one 
who,  having  with  difficulty  escaped  a  great  danger, 
does  not  venture  to  yield  to  the  feeling  of  security 
and  seems  to  feel  the  ground  shaking  under  his  feet. 

But  as  the  meal  was  now  drawing  to  a  close  an- 
other care  began  to  press  upon  him  with  increasing 
weight.  During  the  journey,  in  the  farm-houses 
which  they  entered,  which  were  often  very  small,  it 
had  happened  more  than  once  that  he  had  passed  the 
night  in  the  same  room  with  the  family  and  his  com- 
panion. Two  or  three  nights  when  they  could  reach 
no  human  habitation  they  had  taken  their  rest  in  the 
forest,  and  he  had  seen  the  beloved  maiden  by  the 
light  of  the  camp-fire  sleeping  peacefully,  while  he 
looked  up  through  the  tops  of  the  trees  and  thanked 
God  that  he  was  permitted  to  watch  over  her  slumber. 
But  this  occurred  on  the  journey — an  unusual  condi- 
tion, which  could  not  and  should  not  last.  There  was 
in  the  upper  story  a  store-room  partitioned  off,  in 


52  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

which  one  of  the  brothers  used  to  sleep,  while  the 
other  had  his  simple  couch  in  a  small  recess  in  the 
lower  room.  The  brothers  had  hit  upon  this  arrange- 
ment the  preceding  year,  when  the  inroads  of  the 
French  necessitated  redoubled  watchfulness.  After- 
wards, though  the  danger  was  over,  they  had  kept 
up  the  custom  until  Lambert's  departure.  Lambert 
had  thought  of  each  room  for  Catherine,  but  Conrad 
had  mentioned  during  the  meal  that,  on  his  eight- 
days'  excursion,  he  had  learned  that  the  French  were 
stirring  again.  Consequently  renewed  watchfulness 
was  necessary,  and  that  since  Lambert  must  be  very 
tired  from  his  journey,  he  would  undertake  the  watch 
for  that  night. 

"Then  we  will  in  turn  both  watch  above,"  said 
Lambert  after  a  pause.  "Catherine  will  be  satisfied 
for  the  night  here  below.  To-morrow  we  will  make 
a  better  arrangement  for  her.  Is  that  satisfactory, 
Catherine?" 

'"Quite  so,"  replied  the  young  woman.  "I  saw  in 
the  recess  sweet-smellmg  hay,  and  here  is  the  beauti- 
ful white  bear-skin;  do  not  trouble  yourselves.  I 
shall  get  along  all  right.    Good  night." 

She  gave  Lambert  her  hand  and  then  Conrad,  who 
looked  on  with  surprise.  He  wondered  at  his  brother, 
and  followed  him  up  the  narrow  stairway  after  they 
had  bolted  and  barricaded  the  door. 

Catherine  watched  them  as  they  ascended,  drew  a 
deep  breath,  passed  her  hand  over  her  forehead,  and 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  53 

began  to  clear  away  the  supper  table,  and  to  wash  up 
and  put  away  the  dishes,  that  she  might  with  better 
courage  carry  forward  the  work  of  reducing  things  to 
order  which  she  had  before  timidly  begun.  This  took 
a  long  time.  Often  she  stood  benumbed  in  the  midst 
of  her  work  with  her  hand  pressed  against  her  fore- 
head. Her  heart  was  so  full  she  could  have  sat  down 
and  shed  a  flood  of  tears.  At  the  same  time  a  firm, 
unchecked  serenity  filled  her  soul,  such  as  she  had 
experienced  when  quite  a  young  thing  playing  at  for- 
feits when  the  band  of  children  in  their  colored  dresses 
wildly  pursued  each  other. 

Then  awakened  out  of  such  strange  dreams,  she 
again  quietly  continued  her  work,  and  at  last  looked 
about  the  room  with  a  self-satisfied  air,  since  it  had 
now  assumed  quite  a  different  appearance.  Having 
carefully  put  out  the  fire  on  the  hearth,  she  sought 
her  modest  couch  that  she  had  prepared  in  the  recess 
on  the  farther  side  of  the  large  room. 

Through  the  narrow  port-holes  in  the  thick  plank 
wall  there  stole  in  streaks  of  the  moon's  rays,  spread- 
ing about  her  a  faint  twilight.  It  was  easy  to  breathe 
in  the  fresh  forest  exhalation  which  blew  in  at  the 
openings  and  played  about  her  cheeks.  The  brook 
purled  uninterruptedly.  From  time  to  time  there 
was  a  rustle,  first  gentle,  then  swelling  out,  and  then 
again  holding  back  like  the  tones  of  an  organ.  It 
was  the  solemn  music  of  the  primitive  forest.  She 
had  already  noticed  this  music  on  her  journey  when, 


54  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

sleeping  under  the  trees  on  gathered  moss,  she,  with 
dream-veiled,  half-open  eyes,  saw  Lambert  sitting  at 
the  camp-fire.  She  could  now  also  hear  his  step  as 
he  made  the  round  of  the  gallery  above.  Conrad's 
tread  would  be  heavier.  Once  he  stopped  directly 
over  her  head.  Was  he  looking  in  the  distance  for 
the  blood-thirsty  enemies.'*  or  was  he  listening  to  the 
mocking-bird's  wonderful  song  which  she  had  for 
some  time  noticed  coming  from  the  forest  in  soft, 
sobbing  tones,  as  the  nightingale  had  warbled,  over 
in  her  German  home,  in  the  linden  tree  at  the  gable 
of  the  parsonage.  Then  again  it  shrieked  like  a  vex- 
atious parrot,  or  laughed  like  a  magpie.  This  sounded 
quite  ludicrous.  Then  it  was  no  more  the  mocking- 
bird's twofold,  demon-like  singing,  but  two  human 
voices,  and  Lambert  spoke  in  excited,  suffering  tones: 
"Catherine,  can  you  forgive  me.'"'  and  Conrad 
laughed,  saying:  "Catherine  is  not  at  all  angry,"  and 
she  had  to  smile,  and  with  a  smile  on  her  lips  she  fell 
asleep. 

Meanwhile,  as  Catherine  had  correctly  supposed, 
Lambert,  walking  slowly  over  the  floor  of  the  gallery, 
kept  watch,  though  Conrad,  recurring  to  what  he  had 
reported,  assured  him  that,  for  the  present,  the  dan- 
ger of  which  he  had  before  spoken  did  not  exist,  and 
that  he  had  only  mentioned  it  that  he  might  have 
good  grounds  for  leaving.  He  then  became  very  an- 
gry as  Lambert  replied,  "I  do  not  know  what  you 
mean,"  threw  himself  on  the  bed  in  the  watch-cham- 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  55 

ber  and  declared  that  he  was  too  tired  to  say  another 
word. 

However  he  did  not  sleep,  for  as  Lambert,  after  an 
hour,  softly  walked  past  the  open  door  of  the  watch- 
chamber,  he  thought  he  heard  his  name  spoken.  He 
stopped  and  looked  in. 

"Did  you  call  me,  Conrad.?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Conrad,  who  had  raised  himself  on 
his  elbow,   "I  wished  to  ask  you  something." 

"What.?" 

"Are  you  then  not  married.?" 

"No;   why.?" 

"Oh!  I  only  asked;   so  good  night." 

"Conrad,  dear  Conrad,  I  wish  with  all  my  heart  to 
tell  you  everything."  But  Conrad  had  already  sunk 
back  on  the  bear  skin  and  had  fallen  asleep,  or  pre- 
tended that  he  had. 

Lambert  went  sadly  out.  "To-morrow,"  said  he  to 
himself,  "before  we  see  Catherine,  he  shall  know  it, 
and  he  will  help  me,  and  all  will  be  well." 


CHAPTER  V 

Lambert,  having,  in  the  early  morning,  lain  down 
by  the  side  of  Conrad,  awoke  late  and  found  his 
brother  gone.  He  had  left  the  block-house  at  sun- 
rise. Catherine  was  up  and  occupied  about  the 
hearth  when  Conrad  lightly  descended  the  stairs.  He 
was  in  a  great  hurry,  and  declined  the  morning  soup 
which  she  offered  him.  He  would  certainly  be  back 
before  night.  Then  he  took  his  rifle,  hung  about  him 
his  game  bag,  and,  with  Pluto  at  his  heels,  went  up 
the  creek  with  long  strides. 

"The  wild  youth,"  said  Lambert. 

He  was  quite  displeased  with  Conrad,  but  that  he 
had  intentionally  avoided  him  did  not  enter  his  mind. 
Conrad  had  acted  strangely  enough  last  evening, 
but  then  the  older  brother  was  accustomed  to  the  un- 
reliable, crisp  and  often  silly  humors  of  the  younger 
one.  "Why  should  Conrad  give  up  a  hunt  to-day 
which  perhaps  he  had  prearranged  with  his  compan- 
ions.^ He  will  doubtless  return  by  noon  with  a  fat 
deer  and  a  woodman's  appetite." 

So  said  Lambert  while,  standing  at  the  hearth,  he 

partook  of  his  morning  meal.      However  he  did   not 

say  that,  on  the  whole,  he  was  not  so  much  put  out 

by  his  brother's  absence — that  he  reluctantly  gave 

56 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  57 

up  the  sweet  habit  of  being  alone  with  Catherine  that 
he  might  talk  freely  with  her. 

But  this  morning  the  pleasant  conversation  was 
wanting.  Catherine  was  still  and,  as  Lambert  now 
saw,  was  pale,  and  her  beaming,  brown  eyes  were 
veiled.  Now  that  the  end  of  her  journey  had  been 
reached  she  felt  how  great  the  strain  had  been;  but 
soon,  smiling,  accommodated  herself  to  the  situation. 

"You  need  not  feel  concerned,"  said  she.  "In  a 
couple  of  days — perhaps  hours — all  will  be  regained. 
I  will  not  boast,  but  I  have  always  been  able  to 
accomplish  what  others  could,  and  often  a  little  more, 
and,  if  you  are  not  too  strict  a  master,  you  shall  be 
satisfied  with  your  maid-servant." 

To  Lambert  it  seemed  as  if  the  sun  had  suddenly 
been  overcast.  With  trembling  hand  he  put  down 
the    cup   which    he    had    not    yet    entirely  emptied. 

"You  are  not  my  maid-servant,  Catherine,"  he 
said  gently. 

"Yes  I  am,  Lambert,  yes  I  am,  though  you  mag- 
nanimously tore  up  the  evidence  of  my  indebtedness," 
replied  the  young  rnaiden.  "I  owe  you  none  the  less 
on  that  account.  The  debt  is  now  doubled.  You 
know  it  well  and  yet  it  is  proper  for  me  to  say  it. 
I  desired  to  be  to  you  a  good  and  faithful  maid-serv- 
ant— to  you  and  yours.  I  supposed  nothing  else 
but  that  your  parents  were  still  alive,  and  I  heartily 
rejoiced  that  I  could  serve  them.  You  said  nothing 
about  your  parents,  I  think,  because  you  did  not  wish 


58  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

to  make  me  feel  sad.  Now  your  parents,  like  mine, 
are  dead,  and  you  live  here  alone  with  your  brother, 
so  I  am' your  maid-servant  and  your  brother's." 

Lambert  made  a  motion  as  though  he  wished  to 
reply,  but  his  half-raised  arm  fell  powerless,  and  his 
opened  lips  again  closed.  He  had  intended  to  say: 
"I  love  you,  Catherine.  Do  you  not  see  it.^"'  How 
could  he  now  say  it.? 

Catherine  continued: 

"I  beg  you,  Lambert,  with  this  understanding,  to 
talk  with  your  brother,  if  you  have  not  already  done 
so.  You  are  the  elder  and  know  me  better.  He  is 
young  and  impetuous,  as  it  seems,  and  now  sees  me 
for  the  first  time.  And  now,  Lambert,  you  surely 
have  something  better  to  do  than  to  stand  here  and 
talk  with  me.  I  have  to  clear  away  a  little  here  yet, 
and  will  follow  you  should  you  not  go  far,  if  you  do 
not  object.  I  should  like  to  see  all,  and  know  about 
every  part." 

She  turned  to  him  and  gave  him  her  hand.  "Does 
that  please  you .?"  she  asked  smiling. 

"Entirely,  entirely,"  replied  Lambert.  Tears 
stood  in  his  eyes,  but  the  dear  girl  wanted  it  so,  and 
that  was  enough. 

"I  will  first  go  to  the  barn-yard,"  said  he,  "and  then 
into  the  forest.  This  afternoon  I  intended  to  go  to 
Uncle  Ditmar's.      Perhaps  you  will  accompany  me." 

He  went  out  hastily.  Catherine  looked  at  him 
with  sad  smiles.     "You  good,  dear,    best  man,"  said 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  59 

she,  "it  is  not  my  fault  that  I  distress  you,  but  I 
must  think  of  us  all.  The  madcap  will  probably  now 
be  satisfied." 

Catherine  now  felt  herself  somewhat  relieved  of 
the  weight  that  had  lain  on  her  heart  since  the  pecul- 
iar scene  with  Conrad  in  the  morning.  Involunta- 
rily she  constantly  thought  about  how  alarmed  Con- 
rad appeared  when,  as  he  came  down  the  narrow, 
steep  stairs,  he  found  her  already  on  the  hearth;  how 
he  had  then  approached  her  and  stared  at  her  with 
his  large,  glistening  eyes,  and  had  said:  "Are  you 
man  and  wife,  or  are  you  not  ?  If  you  are,  then  it 
will  be  best  for  me  to  send  a  bullet  through  my  head; 
but  lie  not — for  God's  sake,  do  not  lie,  otherwise  I 
will  indeed  shoot  myself,  but  first  surely  both  of  you." 

Then  as  Catherine  drew  back  from  the  violence,  he 
began  to  laugh.  "Now,  one  does  not  lightly  shoot 
such  a  brother  dead,  who  is  so  good  that  he  could  not 
be  better,  and  a  girl  who  is  so  handsome,  so  wonder- 
fully beautiful.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned  I  need  feel 
no  anxiety  about  being  shot  dead.  This  can  happen 
to  me  any  day.  Pluto,  beast,  are  you  again  staring 
at  her.?  Wait!  I  will  teach  you  manners."  With 
this  he  hastened  away.  Outside  Pluto  howled  griev- 
ously, as  though  she  would  teach  Catherine  that  her 
master  was  not  accustomed  to  indulge  in  vain  threats. 

"Now  he  will  be  satisfied,"  said  Catherine,  yet  a 
couple  of  times,  while  she  cleared  away  the  breakfast 
and  made  some  preparations  for  the  simple  dinner. 


60  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

To-day  she  did  not,  like  yesterday,  have  to  gather  up 
laboriously  what  she  needed ;  everything  was  at  her 
hand.  Everything  appeared  as  if  familiar  to  her — as 
though  she  had  known  it  from  youth  up.  She  hum- 
med her  favorite  song,  "Were  I  a  wild  falcon  I  would 
soar  aloft,"  and  then  interrupted  herself  and  said: 
"It  has  been  childish  for  me  to  be  so  fearful.  He 
loves  him;  that  one  sees  clearly.  He  has  called  him 
the  best  brother,  and  surely,  at  the  bottom  of  his 
heart,  he  is  kind  though  his  eyes  have  so  wild  a  look. 
Before  glittering  eyes  which  are  so  handsome  one 
needs  not  be  afraid.  But  Lambert's  eyes  are  still 
handsomer." 

Catherine  stepped  to  the  door.  It  was  a  most 
beautiful  spring  morning.  Small  white  clouds  passed 
quietly  over  the  light  blue  sky.  Golden  stars  danced 
in  the  creek.  Dew-drops  sparkled  in  the  luxuriant 
grass  of  the  meadow — here  in  emerald  green,  in  blue 
and  purple  shades  there.  The  woods  which  encircled 
the  hill  on  which  the  house  stood  looked  down  quietly. 
Over  a  rocky  height  that  projected  steep  out  of  the 
forest  there  hovered  a  great  eagle  with  extended 
wings  sporting  in  the  balmy  air  that  was  breathing 
through  the  valley  and  whose  every  puff  was  charged 
with  balsamic  aroma. 

Catherine  folded  her  hands  and  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears.  It  seemed  to  her  as  if  she  were  again  standing 
in  the  small  church  of  her  home  village,  and  that  she 
heard  her  father's  mild  voice  pronounce  the  benedic- 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  6 1 

tion  over  the  congregation:  "The  Lord  let  the  light 
of  His  countenance  fall  upon  you  and  give  you  peace." 

The  last  remains  of  unrest  had  passed  away  from 
her  and,  in  her  present  mood,  she  went  to  seek  Lam- 
bert, whom  she  supposed  to  be  at  the  buildings  which, 
as  she  passed  around  the  block-house,  she  saw  stand- 
ing at  some  distance  towards  the  forest. 

She  found  him  working  at  a  hedge  which  inclosed 
part  of  a  field  in  which  the  lance-shaped,  bright 
leaves  of  the  Indian-corn  waved  in  the  morning  wind. 
Young,  red-blossomed  apple  trees,  whose  trunks  had 
been  carefully  wound  with  thorns,  had  been  planted 
around  the  fields. 

"This  the  deer  did  last  night,"  said  Lambert,  as  he 
approached  a  damaged  place.  "Here  are  the  fresh 
tracks.  Conrad  knows  how  to  keep  them  respectful, 
but  during  the  eight  days  that  he  has  been  away  they 
have  again  become  bold." 

"I  will  help  you,"  said  Catherine,  after  she  had 
looked  on  for  a  few  miuntes. 

*  This  is  no  labor  for  you,"  said  Lambert,  looking 
up. 

"So,  once  for  all,  you  must  not  speak,"  serenely 
replied  Catherine.  "If  you  want  a  princess  in  your 
house  you  must  at  once  send  me  away  again.  I  own 
myself  unfit  for  that." 

Lambert  smiled  with  pleasure  when  he  saw  how 
skillfully  she  took  hold  of  the  matter,  and  how  handy 
she  was.     He  now  noticed    for  the  first  time   that 


62  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

the  roses  had  again  blossomed  on  her  cheeks;  and  as 
she  now,  in  helping  him,  bent  over  and  back,  the 
agreeable  play  of  the  lines  of  her  slender,  girlish  body 
filled  him  with  trembling  delight. 

"But  you  also  should  not  be  unemployed,'*  said 
Catherine. 

The  young  man,  blushing  deeply,  returned  to  his 
work  with  redoubled  zeal,  so  that  it  was  soon  com- 
pleted. 

"What  comes  next.!*"  asked  Catherine. 

"I  intended  to  go  up  into  the  woods  to  look  after 
my  pine  trees.  There  will  be  probably  more  to  do 
there  than  here,  where  my  kind  uncle  has  kept  every 
thing  so  well  in  order.  But  about  woodcraft  he  un- 
derstands little  or  nothing;  and  Conrad  concerns 
himself  only  with  his  hunting.  It  was  fortunate  that 
I  could  do  the  chief  labor  before  I  left  home  in  the 
spring." 

He  hung  the  gun,  which  leaned  against  the  hedge 
near  him,  over  his  shoulder  and  looked  at  Catherine. 

Lingering  he  said:  "Will  you  go  with  me?  It  is 
not  far." 

"That  is  truly  fortunate,"  said  Catherine.  "You 
know  I  am  shy  of  long  roads.  Will  you  not  rather 
saddle  Hans.?" 

She  called  the  horse,  grazing  in  an  enclosure  near 
by,  in  which  there  was  also  a  small  flock  of  black- 
wooled  sheep.  He  pricked  up  his  ears,  came  slowly, 
swinging  his  tail,  and  put  his  head  over  the  bars. 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  63 

"You  good  Hans,"  said  Catherine,  brushing  the 
thick  forelock  out  of  the  eyes  of  the  animal,  "I  gave 
you  a  good  deal  of  trouble  on  the  long  journey." 

"The  trouble  was  not  so  very  great.  Is  it  not  so, 
old  Hans.^"  said  Lambert. 

Hans  seemed  to  think  that  to  such  an  idle  question 
no  answer  was  necessary  and  went  on  quietly  chew- 
ing his  last  mouthful  of  grass.  The  young  people 
stood  and  looked  on  and  stroked  the  head  and  neck 
of  the  animal,  while  in  the  branches  of  a  blossom- 
ing apple  tree  a  robin-redbreast  sang.  Their  hands 
touched.  Lambert's  large  eyes  assumed  a  deter- 
mined expression  and  then  were  raised  with  a  cordial 
look  to  the  blushing  face  of  the  maiden. 

"Now  you  must  also  show  me  the  barn-yard,"  said 
Catherine. 

"Cheerfully,"  said  Lambert. 

They  entered  the  barn-yard  which  like  the  house 
was  inclosed  with  a  stone-wall  of  the  height  of  a  man, 
and  contained  several  low  buildings  formed  of  logs. 
First  the  stable  in  which,  in  the  winter  and  in  bad 
weather,  Hans,  the  cows  and  the  sheep  stayed  quietly 
together.  This  was  now  empty  with  the  exception 
of  a  couple  of  half-grown  pigs  grunting  within  a  par- 
tition, and  a  large  flock  of  hens  and  turkeys  which 
had  been  contentedly  scratching  in  the  straw,  but 
now,  frightened  at  the  unwelcome  intrusion,  cackling 
and  flying  apart  rushed  out  of  the  open  door.  Then 
they  entered    the   work-shop,    in    which    Lambert 


64  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

worked  during  the  winter,  and  where,  besides  excellent 
timber  and  all  kinds  of  tools,  there  were  standing, 
begun  and  finished,  tubs  which  would  have  done  credit 
to  a  cooper. 

"In  the  fall  these  are  all  filled  with  tar  and  rosin," 
said  Lambert,  "and  sent  to  Albany.  It  won't  be 
long  before  I  must  stick  to  this,  and  my  Uncle  Dit- 
mar,  of  whom  I  learned  coopering,  will  help  me,  I 
suppose,  and  also  Conrad,  though  he  does  not  like 
mechanical  labor.  Still  he  can  do  anything  he  pleases, 
and  does  it  better  than  one  who  devotes  his  life  to  it." 

Catherine  was  pleased  to  hear  that  Lambert  was  so 
proud  of  his  younger  brother,  but  did  not  speak  of  it. 
It  seemed  to  her  as  if  a  dark  shadow  had  passed  over 
her  heart,  which  had  but  now  been  as  sunny  as  the 
surrounding  golden,  spring  landscape. 

They  left  the  barn-yard  and,  ascending  by  degrees, 
soon  reached  the  edge  of  the  woods,  which  here  ex- 
tended back  farther  from  the  level  ground,  so  that,  as 
they  turned  about,  the  valley  lay  like  a  great  meadow 
in  the  woods,  in  the  midst  of  which  was  the  block- 
house on  the  hill.  The  creek  was  concealed  by  the 
reeds  which  fringed  its  shore.  Deep  peace  rested  in 
happy  quietude  on  the  earth  in  its  morning  freshness. 
But  up  in  the  air  there  appeared  an  unusual  spectacle. 
The  eagle  which  Catherine  had  before  observed  had 
been  joined  by  another.  They  sailed  directly  over 
the  house  and  wound  their  circles  together  swifter 
and  ever  swifter  until,  with  loud  outcries,  they  rushed 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  65 

against  each  other,  striking  with  their  mighty  wings, 
whirling  round  each  other,  clasping  each  other,  and 
falling  like  a  stone.  Then  again  they  separated, 
sailed  aloft,  again  rushed  together,  until  at  length 
one  flew  toward  the  woods  followed  by  the  other. 

"A  hateful  sight,"  said  Catherine.  "The  angry 
beasts!" 

"We  are  accustomed  to  that,"  said  Lambert. 

Catherine  was  greatly  disturbed  by  this  battle 
scene.  Involuntarily  she  had  again  to  think  of  Con- 
rad. 

As  they  now  turned  into  the    woods   she  asked: 

"Do  you  truly  love  your  brother.?" 

"And  he  me,"  said  Lambert. 

"He  is  yet  so  young,"  Catherine  began  again. 

"Ten  years  younger  than  I.  I  am  thirty-two.  Our 
mother  died  when  he  was  born.  Good  Aunt  Ditmar, 
our  sainted  mother's  sister,  took  him  home  since  my 
father  and  I,  poor  youngster,  naturally  did  not  know 
how  to  help  ourselves.  When  he  was  a  couple  of 
years  old  he  came  again  to  us,  though  his  aunt  would 
gladly  have  kept  him.  But  father  did  not  stand  any 
too  well  with  uncle,  and  was  jealous,  fearing  that  his 
child  would  become  entirely  estranged  from  him.  So 
I  waited  on  and  brought  up  the  little  orphaned  rogue 
as  best  I  could,  and,  since  he  grew  so,  I  thought  that 
any  mother  would  be  proud  of  the  boy.  Then,  when 
I  could  no  longer  carry  him,  I  played  with  him,  and 
taught  him  the  little  I  had  learned,  and  so  we  have 


66  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

been  together  day  and  night,  and  an  an^ry  word  has 
never  passed  between  us,  though  he  was  as  wild  and 
intractable  as  a  young  bear.  Father's  position  in 
respect  to  him  was  very  difficult,  being  himself  a 
determined  man  and  quite  passionate.  Once,  being 
at  variance,  father  raised  his  hand  against  the  eleven- 
year-old  boy,  who  was  as  brave  and  proud  as  a  man. 
He  ran  away  into  the  woods  and  did  not  return,  so 
that  we  thought  that  he  had  either  committed  suicide, 
or  had  been  torn  in  pieces  by  the  bears.  Meanwhile 
my  young  gentleman  stuck  among  the  Indians  at 
Oneida  Lake  and  did  not  let  anything  be  seen  or 
heard  of  him  for  three  years,  until,  a  few  days  after 
father's  death,  he  suddenly  entered  the  block-house 
where  I  sat  alone  and  sad.  At  first  I  did  not  know 
him,  for  he  had  grown  a  couple  of  heads  taller  and 
was  dressed  in  Indian  style.  But  he  fell  upon  my 
neck  and  wept  bitterly,  and  said: 

"  'I  heard  by  chance  that  our  father  was  lying  on 
his  death-bed.  I  have  been  walking  three  days  and 
three  nights  to  see  him  again. '  In  the  midst  of  his 
weeping  he  threw  back  his  head  and,  with  sparkling 
eyes,  exclaimed:  'But  do  not  think  that  I  have  for- 
given him  for  striking  me;  but  I  am  sorry  that  I  ran 
away. '  So  he  came  again  as  he  had  gone,  wild  and 
proud,  and  at  the  next  moment  soft  and  kind." 
Lambert  was  silent.  After  a  short  pause  he  said: 
"I  wish  I  had  told  you  all  this  before;  you  would 
then  not  have  been  so  frightened  last  evening." 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  6/ 

"And  this  morning,"  said  Catherine  to  herself. 

Lambert  continued:  "They  here  call  him  the  In- 
dian, and  the  name  fits  him  in  more  than  one  respect. 
At  least  no  Indian  would  undertake  to  compete  with 
him  in  those  things  in  which  they  chiefly  excel.  In 
all  their  arts  Conrad  beats  them;  and  then  he  loves 
the  hunt,  the  forest  and  rambling  ways  just  as  the 
red-skins  do.  But  his  heart  is  true  as  pure  gold,  and 
in  that  he  is  not  a  red-skin,  who  are  all  as  false  as  a 
jack-o'-lantern  in  the  swamp.  For  this  reason  we  all 
here  on  the  Mohawk  and  on  the  Schoharie,  old  and 
young,  love  him.  Wherever  there  are  German  set- 
tlers there  he  comes  on  his  hunting  expeditions,  and 
is  everywhere  welcome.  The  people  sleep  without 
fear  when  he  is  there,  for  they  know  they  are  guarded 
by  the  best  rifle  in  the  colony." 

Lambert's  eyes  brightened  as  he  spoke  about  his 
brother.      Suddenly  his  face  became  beclouded. 

"Who  knows,"  continued  he,  "how  different  it 
mi^t  have  been  last  year  had  he  been  here  with  us.^ 
But  when  Belletre  broke  loose  with  his  devilish  In- 
dians and  his  French,  who  are  much  worse  devils,  we 
were  entirely  unprepared.  We  would  not  believe 
the  Indian  who  brought  us  the  news.  Conrad  would 
have  known  what  there  was  of  it,  and  would  soon 
have  brought  it  out.  But  he  remained  above  be- 
tween the  lakes  on  a  hunt;  so  we  missed  his  arm  and 
rifle.  Then  took  place  the  remarkable  circumstance 
that  they  did  not  come  here  to  Canada  Creek,    and 


68  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

that  our  houses  escaped  their  ravages.  This  after- 
ward caused  bad  blood,  and  one  could  hear  whisper- 
ings about  treachery,  though,  at  the  first  alarm,  we 
all  hurried  forward  and  did  our  share.  Conrad  helped 
us  fight  in  his  own  way.  He  says  nothing  about  it, 
but  I  think  that  many  an  Indian,  who  in  the  morning 
went  hunting,  was  vainly  waited  for  at  his  camp-fire 
in  the  evening,  and  has  not  to  this  day  returned  to  his 
wigwam." 

A  shudder  passed  over  Catherine.  What  had  the 
wild  man  said  this  morning.^*  "As  far  as  it  concerns 
me  I  need  not  trouble  myself  about  being  shot  to 
death."  Dreadful!  Had  she  not  seen  as  she  came 
up  the  Mohawk  valley  where  many  houses  had  been 
burned  which  had  not  been  rebuilt,  the  entire  families 
having  been  killed  by  the  merciless  enemies.!*  And 
how  many  plain  wooden  crosses  in  green  fields,  along 
the  road,  in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  where  a  peaceful 
farmer,  a  helpless  wife,  a  playful  child,  had  been  piti- 
lessly killed.  No,  no!  It  was  an  honorable  conflict 
for  house  and  home,  for  body  and  life — the  same  con- 
flict through  which  her  good  father  with  his  whole 
congregation  had  been  driven  out  of  Germany.  They 
knew  not  how  to  resist  their  shameless  and  disorderly 
oppressors  except  by  flight  over  the  sea  into  this  wil- 
derness at  the  furthest  west.  Whither  shall  they 
yet  fly,  since  the  same  enemy  even  here  begrudges 
them  life  and  freedom?  Here  one  cannot  say:  "Let 
us  forsake    our  houses  and  shake  the  dust  from  our 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  69 

feet."  Here  the  word  is  wait,  fight,  conquer,  or  die. 
Not  in  empty  threatening  did  the  farmer  a§  he  went 
to  his  peaceful  labor  carry  his  gun   on   his   shoulder. 

"I  wish  I  too  knew  how  to  handle  the  rifle,"  said 
Catherine. 

"Like  my  Aunt  Ursul,"  said  Lambert  laughing. 
"She  shoots  as  well  as  any  one  of  us,  Conrad  naturally 
being  excepted.  Nor  does  she  leave  her  rifle  at  home. 
Here  we  are,  at  the  pinery." 

They  had  reached  a  tall  forest,  such  as  Catherine 
on  her  journey,  had  not  hitherto  seen.  The  power- 
ful trunks  shot  up  like  the  pillars  of  a  dome  and  in- 
tertwined their  mighty  tops  in  an  arch  through  whose 
dark  vaults  here  and  there  red  sun-rays  flashed.  The 
morning  wind  soughed  through  the  wide  halls,  having 
now  become  stronger,  and  ascending,  gently  died 
at  the  top  like  the  murmur  of  the  sea. 

"This  seems  to  have  stood  so  since  the  first  day  of 
creation,"  said  Catherine. 

"And  yet  its  days  are  numbered,"  said  Lambert. 
"In  a  couple  of  years  there  will  be  little  more  to  be 
seen  of  it.  I  am  sorry  far  the  beautiful  trees,  and 
now,  since  you  so  admire  them,  I  am  doubly  sorry. 
But  there  is  no  longer  any  remedy.  See,  here  my 
labor  begins." 

A  slight  depression,  through  which  a  brooklet 
purled  on  its  "way  to  the  creek,  separated  this  piece  of 
woods  from  another  which  had  already  been  pre- 
pared the  second  year  for  the  manufacture  of  tar. 


70  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

Lambert  explained  to  his  companion  that  each  of  the 
large  trees  was  divided  into  four  quarters.  "In  the 
spring,  as  soon  as  the  sap  begins  to  rise,  the  north 
quarter,  where  the  sun  has  the  least  power,  is  peeled 
off  for  two  feet  in  order  to  draw  off  the  turpentine. 
In  the  fall,  before  the  sap  begins  to  slacken,  the 
southern  quarter  is  treated  in  the  same  way.  The 
following  spring  the  eastern  side,  and  in  the  fall  the 
western  side,  is  in  like  manner  peeled.  Then  the  up- 
per part  of  the  tree,  filled  with  turpentine,  is  cut 
down  and  split  up  and  roasted  in  an  oven  so  pre- 
pared as  to  secure  the  tar.  This  I  will  show  you 
later.  This  indeed  is  not  a  pleasing  sight,"  said  Lam- 
bert, "nor  will  I  take  you  farther,  where  the  poor 
naked  stumps  stand  and  decay.  It  cannot  well  be 
otherwise.  One  must  live,  and  we  here  on  Canada 
Creek  have  nothing  else,  or  scarcely  anything  else, 
since  our  small  cultivated  acreage  must  be  devoted  to 
our  most  urgent  necessities.  So  must  also  our  live 
stock,  though  we  have  plenty  of  fertile  plow-land  and 
rich  meadow-land.  But  what  can  one  do  when  he 
is  every  instant  in  danger,  and  his  crops  are  destroyed, 
and  his  herds  are  driven  off.'^  They  must  leave  us 
our  pine  trees,  and  our  ovens  can  soon  be  rebuilt. 
To  replace  the  burnt  casks  and  utensils  we  make  new 
ones.  Hence  it  was  for  us  a  question  of  life  or  death 
when,  last  winter,  Mr.  Albert  Livingston  wished  to 
confine  us  to  the  valley,  and  claimed  the  woods  on 
the  hills  for  himself,    notwithstanding  that  we  had 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  J I 

first  bought  both  valley  and  forest  from  the  Indians, 
and  again  after  that  from  the  Government.  But  all 
this  I  told  you  often  enough  on  the  journey,  and  you 
have  listened  patiently,  and  rejoice  that  the  business 
has  been  arranged  in  our  favor.      God  be    praised — " 

"And  your  faithful  care,"  said  Catherine.  "You 
had  it  hard  enough  on  the  long,  tiresome  journey, 
from  which  you  did  not  return  unencumbered.  After 
you  had  been  relieved  of  the  old  care  you  were  laden 
with  a  new  one  in  me,  a  poor,  helpless  girl." 

"Shall  I  deny  it?"  repHed  Lambert.  "Yes,  Cath- 
erine, with  you  there  came  a  new  care  to  me.  You 
know  what  I  mean.  I  feared  I  had  done  wrong  to 
bring  you  here,  where  everybody's  life  is  in  daily,  yes, 
hourly  danger.  This  indeed  I  did  not  conceal  from 
you,  though  I  felt  that  you  would  not  on  this  account 
be  frightened  back.      But — " 

"Then  don't  distress  yourself  further  about  it," 
said  Catherine.  "Or  do  you  think  you  have  been 
deceived  in  me.?" 

"No,"  answered  Lambert.  "But  since  we  are 
here,  it  has  appeared  to  me  as  though  I  should  have 
set  the  matter  forth  more  pressingly.  So  I  also 
blame  myself  that  I  let  Conrad  go  away  this  morning 
without  first  more  fully  ascertaining  what  he  knows 
about  the  enemy.  He  is  too  careless  to  take  to  heart 
anything  of  that  kind.      I  should  use  better  judgment. " 

"Better  judgment,  but  not  less  courage,"  said 
Catherine.     "If  I  must  believe  that   my  coming  has 


72  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

robbed  you  of  your  cool  courage,  how  could  I  forgive 
myself  for  having  come  here  with  you?  No,  Lam- 
bert, you  must  not  so  wrong  me.  I  will  also  learn 
to  use  the  rifle  like  Ursul.     Why  do  you  laugh?" 

"I  cannot  think  of  you  and  the  good  old  lady  to- 
gether without  laughing,"  said  Lambert. 

"Perhaps  I  shall  also  live  to  be  old,  and,  it  is  to  be 
hoped,  good.  I  shall  then  take  it  amiss  if  mischiev- 
ous young  people  laugh  at  me." 

"You  old!"  said  Lambert,  shaking  his  head.  "You 
old !  This  I  can  conceive  as  little  as  how  this  rivulet 
must  begin  if  it  would  flow  up  these  rocks!" 

They  now  went  on  between  the  tree-trunks  down 
to  the  creek,  and  were  walking  along  the  edge  where, 
in  the  mud  of  the  shore,  bison  and  deer  had  impressed 
their  deep  trails.  The  stream  did  not  run  as  smoothly 
here  as  on  the  level  ground.  Its  course  was  obstructed, 
now  by  rocks  covered  with  moss  a  hundred  years 
old,  now  by  an  immense  tree-trunk  which  had  fallen 
diagonally  across,  and  whose  withered  branches 
stretched  down  into  the  brown  water.  A  little  fur- 
ther up  it  had  to  make  its  way  over  rocks,  over  which 
it  leapt  in  indescribable,  foam-covered  cascades. 
From  where  they  both  stood  one  could  see  a  part  of 
the  fall,  like  the  fluttering  ends  of  a  white  garment. 
The  roar  was  softened  by  the  distance  and  accorded 
remarkably  well  with  the  sound  of  the  morning  wind 
in  the  majestic  tree-tops.  With  this  exception  there 
was  an  oppressive    stillness  in  the  primitive  forest, 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  73 

which  the  occasional  flight  of  a  flock  of  pigeons  over- 
head, the  hammering  of  the  woodpecker,  the  cawing 
of  crows,  the  chirping  of  a  little  bird  high  above  in 
the  branches,  and  the  piping  of  a  little  squirrel, 
seemed  to  make  only  the  stiller.  Soft  vaporous 
shadows  filled  the  woods.  But  in  the  clear  space 
above  the  creek  there  was  spread  a  golden  twilight 
bewitchingly  woven  out  of  light  and  shadow.  In  this 
enchanting  light  how  bright  the  beloved  one  appeared 
to  her  lover.  He  could  not  turn  his  eyes  from  her  as 
he  now  sat  near  her  feet  in  the  moss.  Her  rich,  dark 
hair  which  encircled  her  well-formed  head  like  a 
crown;  the  beautiful,  slanting  brows,  the  long,  silky 
eyelashes;  the  sweet  face;  the  heavenly  form — ah! 
all  this,  on  the  long  journey,  had  made  a  deep  im- 
pression; but  now  it  seemed  as  if  he  had  not  known 
it  before — as  though  he  now  saw  for  the  first  time 
that  she  was  so  beautiful,  so  wonderfully  beautiful. 
Also  her  dark  eyelashes  were  raised,  and  her  glance 
wandered  over  the  blue  eyes  which  had  never  before 
seemed  so  deep  and  bright,  turned  back  timidly,  then 
looked  again  more  keenly,  and  could  no  longer  with- 
draw themselves;  then  out  of  their  blue  depths  there 
came  such  wonderful  flashes  that  her  heart  stood  still, 
and  suddenly  again  she  felt  it  bounding  and  beating 
against  the  heart  of  the  beloved  man  who  held  her 
infolded  in  his  arms.  Then  they  released  each  other. 
Each  caught  the  other's  hand.  They  sank  again  into 
each  other's  arms,  exchanged  warm  kisses  and  prom- 


74  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

ises,  and  laughed,  and  cried,  and  said  they  had  loved 
each  other  from  the  moment  in  which  they  first  saw 
each  other,   and  would  do  so  to  the  last. 

Suddenly  Catherine  shrunk  back.  "Conrad!"  she 
cried.  "O,  my  God!  Lambert,  what  are  we  begin- 
ning.?" 

"What  has  happened,  my  darling.?"  asked  Lambert, 
while  he  sought  again  to  draw  the  beloved  one  to 
him. 

"No,  no,"  said  Catherine,  "this  must  first  be  ar- 
ranged. O,  why  did  I  not  tell  you  ?  But  how  could 
I  speak  of  it  before  ?  Now  indeed  I  must  speak,  even 
though  it  be  too  late." 

Without  hesitating  and  in  a  becoming  manner  she 
told  Lambert  what  Conrad  had  said  in  the  morning, 
and  how  strange  his  conduct,  and  how  threatening 
his  appearance  had  been.  "I  seem  constantly  to  hear 
his  laugh,"  said  she  at  last.  "Great  God,  there  he 
is!" 

She  pointed  with  her  trembling  hand  up  the  creek 
to  the  place  where,  between  the  dark  underwood,  the 
foam-streaks  of  the  waterfall  fluttered. 

"Where.?"  asked  Lambert. 

"Conrad!  I  thought  I  saw  him  slipping  away  be- 
tween the  trunks  of  the  trees." 

Lambert  shook  his  head. 

"Then  he  would  be  there  yet,"  said  he.  "It  must 
have  been  a  deer  that  wanted  to  go  to  the  spring. 
Surely  you  are  causelessly  frightened.     I   can   well 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  75 

believe  that  the  youth  finds  my  beautiful  girl  hand- 
some, but  love  as  I  do,  that  he  cannot.  Hereafter 
he  will  be4Lappy  in  seeing  me  happy." 

"But  nov^  I  surely  have  heard  a  human  voice," 
cried  Catherine. 

"I,  too,  this  time,"  said  Lambert,  "but  it  came  from 
up  the  creek.      Hark!" 

"He,  holla,  holla,  he,  ho!"  it  now  sounded. 

"That  is  Aunt  Ursul,"  said  Lambert.  "How  does 
she  come  now  to  be  here.-*" 

A  dark  shadow  passed  over  his  face,  which  how- 
ever at  once  disappeared  as  Catherine  impressed  a 
hearty  kiss  on  his  lips,  and  said:  "Quick,  Lambert; 
let  us  now  go  to  meet  your  aunt.  See  that  she  ob- 
serves nothing.      Do  you  hear.?" 

"There  she  is  already,"  said  Lambert,  half  vexed, 
half  laughing,  as  now  a  large  person,  whose  clothes 
were  an  unusual  mixture  of  women's  and  men's  cloth- 
ing, and  who,  carrying  a  rifle  on  her  shoulder,  press- 
ing through  the  bushes,  soon  reached  the  pair. 


CHAPTER    VI 

"So!"  said  Aunt  Ursul.     "There  yon  are,  sir!" 

She  remained  standing,  took  her  rifle  from  her 
shoulder  and  looked  with  large,  round  eyes  on  those 
who  were  approaching,  like  a  beast  of  prey  on  a  com- 
ing victim. 

"God  bless  you,  aunt,"  said  Lambert,  extending 
his  hand  to  his  old  friend  in  salutation.  "It  is  long 
since  we  have  seen  each  other." 

"And  it  might  have  been  longer  had  it  depended  on 
you,  sir,"  replied  Aunt  Ursul.  "But  one  must  first 
visit  his  pinery.  Relatives  and  friends  come  later. 
It  is  fortunate  that  Aunt  Ursul  knows  her  people, 
or  she  might  have  had  to  look  long  for  you,  sir." 

She  threw  her  gun  with  a  powerful  swing  on  her 
shoulder,  turned  short  on  the  heel  of  her  man's  boots, 
and  began  to  stride  back  over  the  road  along  the 
creek  by  which  she  had  come.  She  had  returned 
Lambert's  salutation  but  slightly,  and  had  not  no- 
ticed Catherine  at  all. 

"How  did  you  learn  that  I  am  back.^"  asked  Lam- 
bert. 

"Not  from  you,  sir,"  repHed  Aunt  Ursul. 

"How  is  uncle .!*" 

"As  usual." 

76 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  77 

"You  have  taken  such  good  care  of  my  things — " 
'   "One  must,  when  the  men  are  wandering  about  the 
country." 

"You  well  know,  aunt,  that  I  did  not  remain  so 
long  away  for  release  from  labor,  nor  entirely  on  my 
own  account.  Nor  was  my  journey  useless.  The 
business  that  took  me  to  New  York  is  so  arranged 
that  you  and  others  will  be  satisfied." 

"So!"  said  Ursul. 

"And  I  have  likewise  brought   with   me   for  you  a 
young  female  friend,  whom  you  will   love   as  she  de- 
serves, and  whom  you  will  receive  kindly  as  you  do 
all  who  need  your  help." 

"So!"  said  Aunt  Ursul. 

The  path  was  so  narrow  that  two  could  not  walk 
abreast.  Ursul  did  not  turn  about,  but  Lambert  now 
did  so  and  observed  that  Catherine  was  quite  pale, 
and  that  tears  stood  in  her  eyes.  The  sight  cut  him 
to  the  heart,  as  he  had  but  a  little  before  seen  the 
beautiful  face  radiant  with  happiness.  "Have  good 
courage,  my  girl,"  said  he  softly.  "She  does  not 
mean  unkindly." 

Catherine  tried  to  smile  through  her  tears,  and 
bowed  as  if  she  would  say:  "Let  it  pass.  Since  you 
love  me  I  can  bear  anything." 

"Lambert!"  called  Ursul,  who  was  vigorously  walk- 
ing on,   "come  here!" 

"Only  go,"  stammered  Catherine;  "but,  for  God's 
sake,  tell  her  nothing.     I  could  not  endure  it." 


78  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

The  young  man  tore  himself  away  with  a  powerful 
effprt  and  followed  Ursul  Ditmar,  whom  he  soon  over- 
took. 

"Come  to  my  side,"  said  Aunt  Ursul;  "the  path 
is  wide  enough  so  you  need  no  longer  trot  behind 
me." 

Lambert  did  as  his  aunt  desired.  Aunt  Ursul  could 
not  bear  opposition,  and  Lambert  had  from  his  youth 
honored  her  as  a  second  mother.  However  he  could 
not  refrain  from  saying  with  mild  reproach,  "You 
are  very  rough  wdth  the  poor  girl,  aunt." 

"So!"  said  the  dame.  "Do  you  think  so?  It  is 
naturally  very  important  for  an  old  person  like  me  to 
know  what  such  a  look  into  the  world  means.  No, 
I  may  as  well  tell  you  what  I  think.  You  have  done 
a  foolish  thing,  sir,  do  you  hear — a  besotted,  foolish 
thing  in  that  at  such  a  time  you  have  burdened 
yourself  with  a  woman.  If,  instead,  you  had 
brought  half  a  dozen  men,  these  we  could  indeed 
have  used  to  better  advantage." 

"But,  Aunt  Ursul,  first  hear  me — " 

"I  will  not  listen!  I  know  the  whole  story  as 
though  I  had  been  present  from  the  beginning.  Poor 
famished  creatures,  who  all  looked  as  though  they 
had  already  for  four  weeks  played  the  ghost.  Surely ! 
It  is  a  sin  and  shame,  and  may  the  evil  one  pay 
back  the  greedy  sharpers  and  Hollanders,  and  pour 
melted  gold  down  their  hungry  throats !  But  when 
a  gun  is  fired  off  it  is  well    not  to  be  in   front  of  it. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  79 

Why  did  you  stand  near  and  gaze  when  you  knew 
that  you  had  such  a  butter-heart  in  your  breast? 
Now  you  have  the  burden.  What  will  be  the  result? 
You  will  naturally  marry  the  girl.  And  then?  Then 
there  comes  every  year  a  crying  brat  until  there  are 
four  or  five.  At  the  fifth  the  poor  creature  dies  and 
Aunt  Ursul  can  then  take  the  young  brood  and  raise 
them.  But  I  tell  you,  that  won't  do,  by  any  means! 
I  would  not  undertake  it  should  you  offer  me  a  ton 
of  gold  for  each  child." 

Aunt  Ursul  had  spoken  so  excitedly  and  in  so  loud 
a  voice  that  Lambert  was  glad  when,  turning,  he 
saw  Catherine  following  slowly  at  a  great  distance, 
her  head  bowed  down  and  she  often  plucking  a  wood- 
flower. 

"How  can  you  talk  in  that  way,  aunt?"  said  Lam- 
bert. 

"To  you  it  would  indeed  be  pleasanter  should  I 
utter  what  first  comes  into  the  mouth,  and  say  yea, 
and  amen,  to  what  you  dumbheads  have  hatched  out. 
Furthermore,  I  have  no  sympathy  for  you,  sir.  You 
have  prepared  your  own  soup.  You  must  eat  it  your- 
self. Poor  girl !  Thrust  out  into  the  world  naked 
and  bare,  so  to  speak,  and  with  such  eyes — just  like 
your  sainted  mother's — by  which  all  men  were  cap- 
tivated. This  is  itself  already  a  heaven-appearing 
misfortune.  I  can  sing  a  song  about  it.  Why  do 
you  laVigh,  you  green  woodpecker?  Do  you  think, 
since  now,  in  my  fifty-seventh  year,  I  am  not  as  slim 


80  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

as  an  osier-switch  and  as  smooth  as  an  eel,  I  could 
not  turn  the  heads  of  the  men  at  seventeen?  You 
are  getting  on  beautifully.  I  tell  you  how  foolish 
they  were,  though  it  isn't  worth  while  to  say  it,  for 
they  are  all  so.  But  I  had  half  a  dozen  on  every 
finger,  and  your  girl  has  as  yet  but  two." 

"Surely  I  do  not  understand  you,  aunt,"  said  Lam- 
bert, whose  anxiety  kept  increasing  as  long  as  she 
kept  talking  in  her  peculiar  way. 

"Well,  then,  I  will  speak  plainly,"  said  Ursul,  after 
she  had  cast  a  rapid  glance  toward  Catherine.  "This 
morning — I  was  just  raking  up  my  hay — your  brother 
came  with  such  a  leap  over  the  gate  that  my  first 
impulse  was  to  give  him  one  over  the  head,  and,  dis- 
tracted and  wild,  to  my  horror,  began  to  speak  so  in- 
coherently, that  no  one  besides  me,  who  know  him 
from  childhood,  could  have  gathered  his  meaning; 
saying  that  he  must  shoot  himself  dead  since  you 
could  not  both  marry  her,  and  other  foolish  talk,  all 
showing  that  he  is  madly  and  blindly  in  love  with  the 
girl." 

Lambert  was  frightened,  as  he  now  heard  from  the 
mouth  of  Aunt  Ursul  what  Catherine  herself  had  told 
him  a  few  minutes  before.  So  the  bad  temper  had 
not  been  blown  away  by  the  first  morning  wind  that 
fanned  the  cheeks  of  the  hunter,  as  he  had  hoped  it 
would  be.  He  had  carried  it  at  least  as  far  as  Aunt 
Ursul's. 

"Surely  you  have  set  his  head  right,  aunt.?"  said 
Lambert. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  8 1 

"First  set  right  the  head  of  that  pine,"  said  Aunt 
Ursul,  pointing  to  an  immense  tree  which  had  been 
shattered  by  lightning  so  that  its  top  now  held  by 
the  bark,  hung  to  the  trunk.  "And  then,  sir,  you  did 
not  do  right  in  not  keeping  your  promise  to  bring  the 
young  man  a  wife  as  you  have  done  for  yourself." 

"I  promised  nothing  of  the  kind,"  replied  Lam- 
bert earnestly.  "It  was  impossible  for  me  to  believe 
that  Conrad  was  serious  when  he  called  after  me,  as 
I  was  already  trotting  off  down  the  valley:  'Bring 
back  with  you  a  wife  for  each  of  us!'  I  never 
thought  of  it  again — especially  not  when  heaven 
threw  in  my  way  a  poor  orphan,  and  I  offered  her, 
forsaken  by  the  whole  world,  a  refuge  with  me.  You 
see,  aunt,  that  I  am  indeed   blameless." 

"Then  give  him  the  girl,"  said  Ursul. 

"Sooner  my  life,"  earnestly  replied  Lambert. 

"I  would  like  to  know,"  said  Ursul,  "whether  I  can- 
not justly  say  that  beauty  is  a  woman's  misfortune, 
and  I  suppose  you  will  admit  it.  Nor  is  it  less  so  for 
the  men  who  are  bewitched  by  it.  What  do  the  poor 
creatures  gain  by  it  ?  Nothing  more  than  the  turtle- 
doves which  I  found  covered  with  blood  near  your 
house.  What  do  you  gain  by  it.^  Just  as  much  as 
the  two  eagles  who,  on  account  of  those  doves,  tore 
the  flesh  from  each  other's  bodies.  Alas,  poor  wo- 
men! unhappy  women!" 

"Conrad  will  listen  to  reason,"  said  Lambert,  with 
trembling  lips. 


82  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  Ursul,  shaking  her  large 
head.  "It  often  happens  that  men-folks  become  rea- 
sonable, but  they  ifsually  wait  until  it  is  too  late.  So 
I  fear  it  will  also  be  this  time.  Now  he  has  gone 
into  the  woods,  and  heaven  knows  how  long  he  will 
wander  about  there,  and  that  at  a  time  when  we  can- 
not spare  a  single  man — and  him  least  of  all." 

"He  won't  fail  us  when  we  need  him,"  said  Lam- 
bert. 

"He  failed  us  last  year,  and  did  we  not  need  him 
then.!*  But  so  men  are,  and  especially  you  young 
men.  You  make  a  hunting  match,  or  get  up  a  race, 
or,  at  a  wedding,  dance  the  soles  off  your  feet,  and 
do  everything  as  it  pleases  you,  and  the  rest  you  let 
go  as  it  pleases  God.  We  saw  it  last  year.  How  I 
talked,  and  preached,  urging  you  to  watchfulness, 
after  I  saw  that  General  Abercrombie  in  Albany  did 
not  bestir  himself,  and  naturally  your  hands  were 
lying  in  your  laps.  I  preached  to  deaf  ears.  After- 
ward when  the  abominable  French  broke  in  and 
sunk,  and  burned,  and  murdered  after  their  wicked 
heart's  desire — yes,  now  every  one  protected  his 
own  head  as  best  he  could.  But  how  many  houses 
might  still  stand,  how  many  wives  and  children  could 
to-day  yet  look  at  the  lovely  sun  and  praise  their 
heavenly  Father,  if  you  from  the  first  had  stood  to- 
gether as  it  became  intelligent  men.!*  And  now,  Lam- 
bert, there  stands  my  horse  and  I  do  not  know  what 
more  to  say  to  you;  so  help  yourself  out  of  the  mire 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  g3 

and  me  on  my  horse;  and,  as  to  what  concerns  the 
lady,  I  will  come  again  to-morrow,  or  you  can  bring 
her  to  me.  I  will  not  bite  her.  Have  no  care.  To- 
day I  won't  stay  longer.  God  protect  you,  Lambert. 
Give  my  compliments  to  the  lady.  What  is  her 
name.'*" 

"Catherine  Weise,"  said  Lambert.  "She  is  an 
orphan.  Her  father,  who  was  a  preacher,  and,  out 
of  love  for  his  people,  emigrated  with  them,  she  lost 
eight  days  before  the  ship  reached  New  York." 

"Catherine,"  said  Ursul.  "Our  dear  Father  in 
heaven!  So  I  always  wanted  to  call  my  daughter, 
should  I  have  one.  Both  my  sainted  grandmothers 
had  that  name.  Nay,  things  happen  alike.  Com- 
pliments to  the  girl,  who  seems  to  be  a  well-behaved 
person,  and  God  protect  you,  Lambert." 

The  Amazon  arranged  her  clothes,  which  was  some- 
what difficult,  as  she  sat  like  a  man  in  the  saddle, 
chirruped  to  her  horse,  gave  him  a  hard  cut  over  the 
neck,  and  trotted  briskly  away  from  the  edge  of  the 
woods  where  they  had  stood,  down  the  hill,  over  the 
meadow,  until  she  reached  the  road  which  led  from 
the  creek  to  the  other  farm-houses. 

The  young  man  looked  at  the  retreating  figure  with 
sad  glances  and  a  deep  sigh.  He  heard  behind  him  a 
light  step.  He  turned  eagerly  and  opened  his  arms 
to  the  beloved  one.  But  Catherine  shook  her  hand- 
some head.  Her  large,  inquiring  dark  eyes,  in  which 
there  were  still  some  traces  of  tears,  rested  on  his 
face. 


84  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"For  God's  sake!"  exclaimed  Lambert,  "why  do 
you  look  in  such  a  strange  way,  Catherine  ?  What 
have  we  to  do  with  others?     I  love  you." 

"And  I  you,"  said  Catherine,  "but  it  must  happen." 

"What  must  happen?  Catherine,  dear  Catherine," 
cried  Lambert. 

"Come,"  said  the  maiden,  "let  us  sit  down  here 
and  talk  with  each  other  quietly,  very  quietly." 

She  sat  down  on  the  trunk  of  a  half-buried  pine 
and  looked  thoughtfully  before  her, 

Lambert  seated  himself  at  her  side.  He  wished  to 
speak,  but  before  he  could  find  the  right  word,  Cath- 
erine raised  her  eyes  and  said: 

"See,  Lambert,  how  much  you  have  kindly  done 
for  me,  a  poor  girl,  and  I  could  not  do  otherwise  than 
give  you  back  the  only  thing  I  have — my  all — and 
love  you  with  all  the  strength  of  my  soul,  with  every 
drop  of  blood  in  my  heart.  I  could  not  do  otherwise, 
and  it  will  be  so  as  long  as  I  live,  and  after  this  life 
throughout  eternity.  But,  Lambert,  it  was  not  right 
for  me  that,  in  addition  to  the  much  and  the  beauti- 
ful that  you  have  given  me,  I  should  also  take  your 
love.  I  felt  this  from  the  first  day  on,^  and  I  tried 
to  prevent  your  seeing  my  love,  though  I  confess  it 
was  a  hard  task." 

Catherine's  voice  trembled,  but  she  held  back  the 
tears  that  were  ready  to  break  from  her  eyes,  and 
continued: 

"I  felt  from  the  beginning — and  I  have  said  to  my- 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  85 

self,  and  promised  thousands  of  times — that  I  would 
be  a  maid-servant  to  you  and  your  parents  and  rela- 
tives, and,  should  you  bring  home  a  wife,  I  would  also 
serve  her  and  her  children,  and  so  help,  as  much  as 
I  could,  to  promote  your  happiness  and  that  of  all 
related  to  you.  When  1  yesterday  learned  that  you 
no  longer  have  parents  I  fled.  I  wished  to  flee, 
while  a  voice,  which  I  only  now  rightly  understand, 
said  that  it  would  come  about  as  it  now  has  come, 
and  as  it  should  not  have  come.  I  have  not  listened 
to  the  voice  of  my  conscience,  and  the  punishment 
follows  at  its  heels.  Your  brother  is  angry  at  you  on 
my  account.  Your  aunt  has  left  you  in  anger  on  my 
account.  What  a  bad  girl  I  must  be,  could  I  calmly 
look  on  and  see  how  unhappy  I  am  making  him  for 
whom  I  would  give  my  blood,  drop  by  drop.  For 
this  reason  it  must  take  place.  Yt>u  have  given  me 
permission  to  go  where  I  will — and  God  will  guide 
my  steps." 

Having  uttered  these  words  she  arose,  pale,  having 
her  hands  folded  under  her  bosom,  and  her  tearless 
eyes  having  a  far-off  look. 

Immediately  Lambert  stood  up  before  her,  and  her 
eyes  met  his,  which  shone  with  a  wonderfully  clear 
and  steady  light.     "Catherine!" 

More  he  did  not  say.  But  it  was  the  right  word 
and  the  right  tone — a  cordial  tone  full  of  tender  sug- 
gestion, and  yet  so  firm,  so  true,  that  it  resounded 
again   in   the   heart   of    the    maiden:     "Catherine!" 


86  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

and  filled  her  soul  with  sweet  pleasure.  What  she 
had  just  said,  in  the  bitter  feeling  of  her  injured  pride, 
and  in  her  painful  conviction  that  she  must  subordi- 
nate her  own  happiness  and  the  happiness  of  him  she 
loved — it  now  seemed  to  her  but  idle  breath,  like  the 
wind  sweeping  above  through  the  rustling  tops  of  the 
pines  and  below  over  the  bending  grass  of  the  mead- 
ow. The  pines  stood  firm,  the  grass  rose  again,  and 
everything  remained  as  it  was  before — yes,  more  beau- 
tiful and  delightful  than  before.  What  was  now  her 
pride  except  a  small  additional  offering  that  she 
brought  to  her  beloved  who  would  not  be  happy  with- 
out her — who  without  her  could  not  be  happy.?  This 
Lambert  said  to  her  again  and  again ;  and  she  said  to 
him  that  separation  from  her  beloved  and  death  would 
be  the  same  for  her,  and  that  she  would  never  again 
think  of  it,  but  that  she  could  live  for  him  and  be 
happy  with  him. 

So  they  sat  a  long  time  at  the  edge  of  the  primi- 
tive forest  in  the  shadow  of  the  venerable  trees — be- 
fore them  the  sunlit  prairie  with  its  bending  flowers 
and  grass,  alone — speaking  in  whispers,  as  though 
the  mottled  butterflies  which  were  moving  about  the 
flowers  must  not  hear.  And  if  a  bird  happened  to  fly 
past  uttering  his  warning  cry,  frightened,  they  crowded 
close  to  each  other  and  then  laughed,  happy  that 
they  were  alone  and  might  sini^  into  each  other's 
arms  and  say  what  they  had  already  said  a  hundred 
times,  and  yet  did  not  get  tired  of  saying  and  hearing 
it. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  Sy 

Then  they  formed  plans  for  the  future — far-reach- 
ing plans — that  during  the  fall  they  would  clear  at 
least  yet  five  acres,  and  that  they  would  in  any  case 
keep  the  calf  of  which  Aunt  Ursul  had  the  care,  and 
whether  it  would  not  be  best  to  partition  off  a  cham- 
ber in  the  upper  story  of  the  house,  leaving  sufficient 
space  for  the  store-room ;  and,  as  the  stairway  was 
very  narrow  and  steep,  they  would  make  a  new  one. 
They  must  also  not  fail  to  have  a  suitable  garden  in 
which  to  raise  greens  and  gooseberries  and  currants; 
and  a  honeysuckle-arbor,  suph  as  Catherine  had  in 
her  father's  garden,  there  surely  must  be,  though 
Lambert  was  not  sure  that  he  quite  understood  what 
Catherine  meant  by  a  honeysuckle-arbor. 

The  ascending  sun  suggested  their  return  home. 
Lambert  was  disinclined  to  leave  the  woods  in  whose 
shade  the  complete  fullness  of  his  happiness  had  been 
revealed.  But  Catherine  said:  "No,  you  must  not 
on  my  account  neglect  a  single  duty  that  rests  on  you. 
Otherwise  your  friends,  who  consider  it  a  misfortune 
that  you  have  taken  up  a  poor  girl  like  me,  will  be 
right.  So  you  must  yet  to-day  ride  to  your  neighbors 
with  your  compliments.  They  would  take  it  amiss 
should  you  not  do  it,  and  they  would  be  right.  It  is 
your  duty  to  inform  them  about  your  journey,  which 
you  undertook  for  their  best  interest  as  well  as  your 
own.  They  will  be  pleased  to  see  you  again,  and 
that  everything  has  turned  out  so  well." 

"And  where  shall  I  leave  you,  in  the  meantime?" 


88  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

asked  Lambert,  as  they  now  walked  slowly  along  the 
creek  toward  the  house. 

"Where  a  woman  should  be — at  home,"  said  Cath- 
erine. 

"I  unwillingly  leave  you  there,"  said  Lambert.  "I 
do  not  believe  I  could  return  before  evening,  however 
I  might  hasten.  It  is  six  miles  to  Adam  Bellinger's, 
who  lives  near  the  mouth  of  the  creek  and  who  is  the, 
last  of  us  six  who  prepared  the  petition  to  the  gov- 
ernor. On  the  way  I  must  stop  three  times,  or 
rather  four  times,  for  I  m.ust  not  ride  past  my  old 
Uncle  Ditmar.  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  leave  you 
so  long  alone,  since  the  French  are  stirring  again,  and 
I  do  not  know  how  far  they  have  come  already." 

"Here  good  advice  is  de4r,"  said  Catherine  laugh- 
ing mischievously.  "You  can't  take  me  along  to-day. 
after  you  yesterday  went  far  out  of  your  waj^  so  that 
your  neighbors  should  not  see  what  a  wonderful  rarity 
you  had  brought  with  you  on  your  return  from  your 
journey." 

"Nor  shall  it  be  different,"  said  Lambert,  but  little 
pained  by  the  gentle  raillery,  accompanied  as  it  was 
with  a  kiss.  "Though  you  do  not  go  the  whole  dis- 
tance, you  can  at  least  go  as  far  as  Ditmar's." 

Catherine  arched  her  eyebrows:  "Are  you  quite 
sure  that  I  should  be  kindly  received  there. ^"  she  asked 
gently. 

"Quite  sure,"  said  Lambert,  earnestly,  "the  more 
so  as  my  aunt  was  unfriendly  to   you  before.     As  far 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  89 

as  I  know  her  she  has  no  stronger  wish  than  to  repair 
the  mischief.  Believe  me,  Catherine,  a  better  heart 
than  Aunt  Ursul's  cannot  be  found,  though  the  severe 
fate  that  has  befallen  her  has  made  her  peculiar  and 
unmannerly." 

"Tell  me  about  it,"  said  Catherine. 

"It  is  a  dreadful  history,"  said  Lambert,  "and  I 
would  rather  not  rehearse  it;  but  you  will  think  other- 
wise of  my  aunt  when  you  meet  her,  and  so  let  it  be. 

"It  is  now  thirteen  years — it  was  in  'forty-four  and 
I  was  nineteen — when  war  broke  out  between  the 
English  and  the  French,  which  they  call  King  George's 
war.  Neither  the  English  nor  the  French  could  raise 
many  men,  so  they  had  to  rely  on  the  Indians,  each 
party  trying  by  every  means  to  win  them  to  itself  and 
set  them  against  the  opposite  party.  Now,  the  En- 
glish had  a  treaty  of  a  long  standing  with  the  Six  Na- 
tions; but  at  this  time  they  also  began  to  waver  and 
to  unite  with  the  French,  who  knew  better  how  to 
flatter  them.  So  many  fell  away,  and  entered  into 
secret  or  open  partnership  with  our  foes.  The  uncer- 
tainty daily  increased.  Nobody  had  any  assurance 
of  his  life.  The  Germans  here  on  the  Mohawk,  and 
especially  on  the  creek,  had  hitherto  escaped;  but 
the  danger  came  nearer  and  nearer  to  us,  and  then  it 
was  that  we  went  to  our  work  with  a  rifle  on  the 
shoulder,  and  when  father,  with  the  help  of  a  couple 
of  blacks  from  Virginia — secured  for  the  occasion — 
strengthened  the  block-house  as  it  is  now.  Before, 
it  was  more  open. 


90  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"Nicolas  Herkimer  settled  on  the  Mohawk,  and 
several  others  followed  his  example.  Most  of  them, 
however,  took  the  matter  more  lightly,  and  said  the 
French  or  Indians  should  only  come  on;  they  would 
soon  show  them  the  road,  and  send  them  home  with 
bloody  heads.  About  this  they  debated  with  Uncle 
Ditmar,  and  became  angry  at  him  since  he  was  al- 
ways full  of  courage  and  of  bitter  hatred  of  the  French 
whom  he  had  already  learned  to  know  on  the  other 
side,  where  they  had  burned  his  parents'  house  and 
driven  them  from  their  home.  He  thought  that 
should  we  wait  until  the  French  came  to  us  it  would 
be  altogether  too  late.  It  was  a  shame  that  now 
everybody  should  think  only  of  himself.  All  should 
assemble  here,  and  on  the  Mohawk,  and  on  the  Scho- 
harie; that  no  one  should  stay  at  home  who  could 
fire  off  a  rifle,  and  that  some  should  go  to  meet  the 
French,  and  pay  them  back,  in  their  own  territory, 
what  before  and  since  they  have  done  to  us.  Per- 
haps the  old  man  was  right,  but  nobody  listened  to 
him.  Then  came  the  year  'forty-six,  when  the 
French  with  their  Indians  swept  through  the  valley  of 
the  Mohawk  as  far  as  Schenectady  and  Albany,  and 
destroyed  and  robbed  what  they  found,  and  killed  and 
scalped  what  came  in  their  way,  and  committed  every 
conceivable  horror.  My  uncle  could  stand  it  no 
longer.  He  went  out  with  his  four  sons — my  cousins 
— of  whom  the  eldest  was  twenty-six  and  the  young- 
est nineteen.     Aunt  Ursul  would  not  stay  at  home, 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  9 1 

but  went  along,  with  her  rifle  on  her  shoulder,  just 
as  you  saw  her  awhile  ago,  and  they  carried  on  war 
by  themselves  and  killed  many  French  and  Indians, 
until  they  were  resting  on  a  certain  day  among  a 
small  clump  of  trees  on  the  open  prairie  and,  not  no- 
ticing, were  overrun  from  all  sides.-  There  my  aunt 
saw  her  sons  fall,  one  after  the  other,  while  she  was 
loading  the  guns.  At  last  old  Ditmar  was  struck  by 
a  stray  bullet  and  sank  at  her  feet  apparently  dead. 
Aunt  Ursul  fired  off  the  gun  she  had  loaded  once 
more  and  laid  a  Frenchman  low,  seized  it  by  the  muz- 
zle, and  swinging  the  butt  on  high  she  rushed  out  and 
struck  about  her  so,  that  the  Indians  themselves, 
at  sight  of  such  bravery,  did  not  kill  her,  but  over- 
powered her,  and  tied  her,  and  took  her  along  as 
prisoner.  They  likewise  took  uncle,  who  gave  signs 
of  life,  when  an  Indian  had  already  torn  his  scalp  half 
off.  Perhaps  they  intended  to  spare  them  for  a  later, 
more  painful  death.  But  it  did  not  go  as  far  as  that, 
thank  God!  for  the  troop  which  was  taking  them 
along  was  attacked  by  another  tribe,  which  held  with 
the  English,  and  they  were  killed  to  the  last  man. 
So  my  aunt,  after  a  couple  of  months,  came  again, 
robbed  of  her  stalwart  sons,  with  her  husband,  whose 
mind  has  never  since  been  quite  right,  and  who  has 
lived  on  for  months  and  years  without  uttering  a  word, 
though  attending  to  his  work  like  anyone  else." 

Lambert    ceased    speaking.     Catherine    took    his 
hand  and,  with  gentle  pressure,  held  it. 


92  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

So  they  went,  hand  in  hand,  along  the  creek.  Here 
and  there  a  pair  of  summer-ducks  came  out  of  the 
reeds  and  flew,  swift  as  an  arrow,  toward  the  woods. 
Fish  sprang  up  in  the  crystal-clear  water.  The 
rushes  waved.  The  flowers  and  grass  on  the  prairie 
swayed  in  the  tepid  wind.  The  sun  poured  down  its 
golden  rays.  But  it  seemed  to  both  as  if  there  had 
fallen  a  veil  over  the  clear,  spring  morning. 

"I  wish  I  had  not  told  you  this — at  least  not  to- 
day," said  Lambert. 

"And  I  thank  you  that  you  did  so,"  said  Catherine. 
"The  happiness  would  be  too  great  were  our  good 
fortune  without  a  shadow.  Did  you  not  find  me  help- 
less, forsaken,  poor  as  a  beggar,  pressed  to  the  ground 
by  care  and  grief,  and  did  you  not,  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation,  stretch  out  your  hand  to  pick  me 
out  of  the  dust.'*  So  I  will  hold  it  fast — your  dear 
hand — and  help  you  carry  the  cares  and  burdens  of 
life,  and  with  you  go  into  the  battle,  if  it  must  be,  as 
good  Aunt  Ditmar  did,  whom  may  God  bless  for  her 
bravery,  and  whose  pardon  I  heartily  beg  for  the  in- 
jury I  did  her  in  my  feelings.  Now  I  can  see  why 
she  who  has  suffered  so  dreadfully  cannot,  like  other 
good  people,  heartily  rejoice  over  the  good  fortune 
which  comes  to  them  before  her  eyes.  Poor  soul ! 
She  no  longer  beheves  in  good  fortune." 

"Perhaps  it  is  also  something  else,"  said  Lambert 
thoughtfully,  and  after  a  short  pause  proceeded: 
"See,    Catherine,    I  love   you    so   dearly,    and    have 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  93 

kept  still  so  long,  that  I  would  like  to  tell  you  about 
everything  that  passes  through  my  mind.  So  I  will 
also  tell  you  this:  I  do  not  know,  but  I  believe  that 
my  aunt  would  be  better  pleased  were  Conrad  in  my 
place.  She  has  not  forgotten  that  she  carried  the 
youngster,  when  a  small  and  helpless  creature,  in  her 
arms,  and  has  always  loved  him  as. though  she  were 
his  own  mother.  So  Conrad  has  also  hung  to  her; 
and,  on  account  of  the  Ditmars,  the  difficulty  arose 
between  him  and  our  father.  Conrad  wanted  to  go 
and  live  at  Ditmar's,  and  father  forbid  it  to  the  eleven- 
year-old  youngster.  The  very  Indian  tribe  to  which 
Conrad  fled  had  rescued  the  Ditmars.  I  believe  he 
was  himself  present,  though  I  do  not  know,  since  he 
has  never  said  a  word  about  it;  nor  has  aunt,  to 
whom  he  may  have  forbidden  it.  All  this  aunt  has 
never  forgotten." 

"And  shall  not  forget  it,"  observed  Catherine  with 
animation.  "See,  Lambert,  now  that  we  have  hon- 
orably acknowledged  that  we  love  one  another,  I  am 
no  longer  so  timid.  We  must  now  be  equally  honest 
toward  the  others.  Your  aunt  knows  it,-  you  say, 
and  she  will  adapt  herself  to  the  actual  state  of 
affairs.  Conrad  must  also  know  it,  and  then  he  won't 
be  angry  at  you  any  longer.  It  perhaps  sounds  a  lit- 
tle bold,  but  if  I  am  indeed  pleasing  to  him,  let  me 
manage  it,  Lambert.  I  will  tame  the  young  bear  for 
you." 

Lambert  shook  his  head,  and  had  again  to  laugh  as 


94  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

he  now  looked  into  the  face  of  the  beloved  one,  which 
beamed  with  happiness  as  before.  "Yes,  yes,  who 
could  withstand  you?  Who  would  not  willingly  do 
what  you  wish?" 

They  had  reached  the  block-house,  and  entered  the 
open  door.  Lambert  looked  about  the  room  with  as 
much  wonder  as  though  he  now  saw  it  for  the  first 
time.  About  the  hearth,  on  the  shelves,  there  hung 
and  stood  kettles,  pitchers  and  pots  clean  and  bur- 
nished. They  had  heretofore  always  been  in  confu- 
sion. On  the  hearth  itself  the  live  coals  glimmered 
under  the  ashes,  and  only  needed  to  be  uncovered 
and  fanned  again  to  start  the  fire.  Near  by  lay  the 
fire-wood  carefully  piled  up.  The  table  was  brightly 
scoured.  The  chairs  were  set  in  order.  The  floor 
was  sprinkled  with  white  sand.  The  hunting  and  fish- 
ing apparatus  neatly  hung  against  the  wall.  The 
small  mirror  which,  dusty  and  dull,  had  hitherto 
leaned  in  a  dark  corner,  had  found  a  suitable  place  be- 
tween the  silhouettes  of  his  parents,  while  they  were 
encircled  with  simple  garlands. 

"You  best  one!"  said  Lambert,  as  with  deep  emo- 
tion he  locked  the  beloved  one  in  his  arms.  "You 
will  prove  the  good  angel  of  us  all." 

"To  that  may  God  help  me!"  ejaculated  Cather- 
ine. "And  now,  Lambert,  we  must  think  about  the 
obligations  resting  on  us.  While  you  go  and  feed 
Hans,  I  will  prepare  our  noonday  meal.  After  din- 
ner we  will  start,  for  I  suppose  you  mean  to  take  me 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  95 

along.  Now,  no  more  talking;  we  have  already 
trifled  away  too  much  time." 

She  drove  out  the  beloved  one  with  kisses  and 
scolding,  and  then  turned  to  her  work,  which  she 
pushed  forward  in  a  lively  manner,  though  she  often 
pressed  her  hand  on  her  heart,  which  it  seemed  would 
burst  with  sheer  happiness.  Wherever  she  looked, 
she,  in  imagination,  saw  the  form  of  her  beloved — the 
true,  good,  thoughtful  eyes;  the  face  embrowned  by 
exposure,  with  its  handsome,  clear  expression;  the 
powerful  frame,  which  moved  with  such  calm  assur- 
ance. In  the  crackling  of  the  fire;  in  the  measured 
tick-tack  of  the  old  Swartzwald  clock,  she  seemed 
ever  to  hear  his  deep,  friendly  voice;  and  she  mentally 
recalled  the  words  he  had  said  to  her,  and  trembled 
with  pleasure  as  she  thought  how  her  name  rang  out 
from  his  lips:  "Catherine!"  So  she  had  always 
been  called.  Her  father,  friends,  neighbors,  all  the 
world  had  called  her  Catherine,  and  yet  it  seemed 
as  though  to-day  she  had  heard  it  for  the  first  time. 

Oh!  everything  had  turned  out  so  different  and  so 
much  better  than  she  had  dared  to  hope.  How 
doubtingly  she  had  looked  toward  the  land  with  fixed 
eyes,  which  had  already  learned  to  weep  on  the  tort- 
ure-ship. What  more  could  it  bring  her  besides  ter- 
rible, inconceivable  misery?  How  unhappy  she  had 
yesterday  felt  on  her  arrival,  and  again  this  morning. 
Could  she  then  now  be  in  reality  happy,  so  very  happy 
that  her  dear,  dead  father,  were  he  still  living,  could 


96  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

wish  for  her  nothing  better — nothing  more  desirable  ? 

Catherine  bowed  her  head  and  folded  her  hands  in 
prayer,  and  then  looked  up  with  brightened  glances. 

"Yes,."  said  she  softly,  "he  would  have  blessed  our 
engagement  with  his  fatherly,  priestly  blessing.  I 
can  call  myself  his  before  men,  as  I  am  before  God 
and  in  my  own  heart.  And  though  I  have  no  friend, 
male  or  female,  to  rejoice  with  us  and  to  wish  us  joy, 
I  am  on  that  account  none  the  less  his  and  he  mine. 
But  I  will  make  friends  of  the  whole  world — the 
strange  old  aunt  and  the  wild  Conrad.  I  am  no 
longer  afraid  of  anybody — of  anything." 

So  spoke  Catherine  to  herself  as  she  was  setting 
the  table,  and  yet  she  was  badly  scared  as,  at  that 
moment,  she  heard  the  stamping  of  a  horse  before 
the  house,  and  a  loud  human  voice  calling: 

"He,  holla!      Lambert  Sternberg!" 

Trembling,  she  laid  down  the  plates   and  stepped 
to  the  door  to  see  the  caller,    who   again   and  again 
screamed:     "Lambert   Sternberg!     He,  holla,  Lam- 
bert Sternberg!" 


CHAPTER  VII 

Before  the  house,  on  a  long-limbed,  lean  horse, 
whose  panting  flanks  and  hanging  head  showed  that 
he  had  just  completed  a  long  and  rapid  trip,  a  young 
man  had  stopped.  On  Catherine's  appearance  he 
forgot  to  shut  the  large  mouth  which  he  had  opened 
in  calling.  His  long,  flaxen  hair  hung  down  in  strands 
from  under  his  large,  three-cornered  hat  upon  his  nar- 
row shoulders.  The  sweat  poured  from  his  freckled, 
saturated,  long  face,  and  his  dull,  water-blue  eyes  had 
a  frightened  look  as  Catherine,  aghast,  called  out: 

"For  God's  sake,  what  has  happened.?" 

"Where  is  he.?"  stammered  he  on   the  horse,  and 
turned  his  eyes  in  every  direction. 

"You  are  looking  for  Lambert  Sternberg.?"  asked 
Catherine. 

The  rider  bowed. 

"I  will  call  him.  Dismount  and  rest  yourself  a 
moment.      I  will  soon  be  back,"  said  Catherine. 

The  rider  did    as    the    young   girl    had   told    him, 

climbed  in  a  tired  way  out    of  the    high   saddle,  and 

tied  his  horse  to  the  iron  ring.      As   Catherine  turned 

to  go,  Lambert  came  around    the   house.      He   was 

leading  Hans  by  the  halter,  and  called  out: 

97 


98  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"God  bless  you,  Adam  Bellinger!  What  brings 
you  here?" 

"The  French  are  here!"  replied  Adam. 

Lambert  started,  and  looked  quickly  toward  Cath- 
erine, who  on  her  part  kept  her  large,  questioning 
eyes  fixed  on  him. 

"What  does  that  mean.^"  asked  Lambert.     "Where 
are   they?     What    do   you    know,    Adam?     By    the     i 
thousand,  man,  speak!" 

"I  know  nothing,"  said  Adam.  "My  father  sent 
me." 

"What  for?     What  is  to  be  done?" 

"I  was  in  the  field."  said  Adam,  "when  my  father 
came  running  up,  saying  that  I  must  unharness  and 
saddle  the  mare;  that  Herkimer  had  been  there;  that 
the  French  were  on  the  march;  and  that  I  should 
report  it  everywhere,  and  that  this  afternoon  all  should 
come  to  his  house  to  consult  as  to  what  was  to  be 
done." 

"Then  it  cannot  be  so  very  bad,"  said  Lambert, 
breathing  more  freely.  "Herkimer  is  a  man  of  sense, 
and  would  not  ask  us  to  come  to  his  house  if  there 
was  very  pressing  danger  to  our  own  homes.  But 
how  did  you  learn  that  I  had  returned?" 

"I  was  at  Aunt  Ursul's,  who  sent  me  here  to  tell 
you  that  she  was  going  to  the  meeting,  and  that  if 
you  should  not  wish  to  leave  the  young  lady,  who 
may  indeed  be  your  bride,  alone,  you  should  take  her 
along  and  leave  her  at  Eisenlord's  on  the  way,  or  at 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  99 

Voltz*,  where  the  women  intend  to  remain  at  home, 
or  at  our  house." 

"It  is  well,"  said  Lambert,  as  he  took  the  hand  of 
Catherine,  standing  by  him  still  and  pale.  "Now 
come  in,  Adam  Bellinger,  and  take  a  bite  and  a  drink. 
You  appear  to  need  it,  and  the  poor  beast  too.  We 
will  be  ready  in  ten  minutes." 

Lambert  shoved  up  the  movable  crib,  while  Cath- 
erine went  into  the  house  and  brought  out  a  loaf  of 
bread  which  Adam  cut  in  pieces  for  his  horse.  Then 
they  all  went  in  and  sat  down  to  the  hastily  prepared 
meal,  to  which  Adam  addressed  himself  so  earnestly 
that  he  had  little  time  to  answer  Lambert's  many 
questions. 

Catherine  learned  enough,  as  she  silently  listened, 
to  form  a  conception  of  the  real  situation.  She  had 
often  heard  Lambert  speak  of  Nicolas  Herkimer,  one 
of  the  richest  and  noblest  German  settlers,  who 
owned  a  large  farm  and  a  castle -like  house  on  the 
Mohawk,  at  the  mouth  of  Canada  Creek.  The  year 
before,  during  Belletre's  raid,  he  had  been  of  great 
service  to  the  settlements.  The  governor  had  given 
him  a  captain's  commission,  and  had  intrusted  him, 
for  the  future,  with  the  defense  of  the  neighboring 
German  districts. 

"He  will  already  have  formed  his  plans,"  said  Lam- 
bert. "We  on  the  creek  will  doubtless  have  to  look 
out  for  ourselves,  we  are  pushed  ahead  so  far. 
There  shall  be  nothing  lacking  with  us,  though  I  did 


lOO  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

not  expect  to  have  the    murdering   incendiaries   here 
so  soon  again." 

Out  of  Lambert's  entire  being  spoke  the  settled 
courage  of  a  man  who  well  knew  the  threatened  dan- 
ger, but  was  resolved  to  defy  it,  come  what  would. 
His  eyes  sought  Catherine's,  who  went  quietly  back 
and  forth  serving  the  men,  and  whose  large,  glisten- 
ing eyes  said:  "You  see,  beloved,  I  am,  like  you, 
quiet  and  self-contained." 

Adam  seemed  to  have  forgotten  all  his  fear,  while 
engaged  in  eating  and  drinking.  He  looked  up  at 
Catherine,  when  she  filled  his  plate  for  the  second 
time,  bowing  with  a  friendly  grin.  At  last  he  slowly 
laid  down  his  knife  and  fork  and  looked  about  him 
contentedly,  as  though  he  would  say:  "One  sits  here 
a  good  deal  more  comfortably  than  in  the  cursed  high 
saddle  of  the  mare,  who  threw  me  at  every  step  from 
one  side  to  the  other." 

"Are  you  ready,  Adam.?"  asked  Lambert,  who  had 
risen  and  had  hung  about  him  his  rifle. 

"Indeed,"  replied  Adam,  "but  hardly  the  mare. 
The  poor  beast  is  not  accustomed  to  anything  like 
this." 

"I  will  water  her,  and  saddle  Hans,"  said  Lambert. 

Catherine  followed  him  to  the-  door.  Lambert 
caught  her  hand  and  said:  "Catherine,  I  thank  you, 
I  thank  you  with  my  whole  heart.  I  now  know  that 
I  need  cast  no  more  reproaches  on  myself." 

"You  should  not  have  cast    any,"  said    Catherine. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  lOI 

"Your  affairs  are  mine.  Your  fate  is  mine.  I  live 
and  die  with  you." 

"And  so  will  I  give  every  drop  of  my  blood  for  you, " 
said  Lambert,  "but  I  hope  to  God  that  there  are  yet 
many  good  days  appointed  us.  It  cannot  for  the 
present  have  much  significance.  Conrad,  who  was 
up  there  for  a  week,  and  in  the  region  from  which 
they  must  come,  surely  knows  more  about  our  ene- 
mies than  anyone  else;  and  he  told  me  that  there  is 
at  least  no  immediate  danger." 

"So  I  think,  too,"  said  Catherine,  "and  for  that 
reason  I  will  ask  a  favor  of  you,  Lambert.  You  have 
on  my  account  slightly  neglected  your  duty.  Had 
you  returned  alone  you  would  yesterday  already  have 
seen  and  spoken  with  your  friends,  for  you  would  have 
taken  the  road  through  the  valley  instead  of  through 
the  woods.  To-day  it  is  fortunate  that  your  friend 
Adam  has  found  us,  for  you  might  easily  have  failed 
to  be  where  you  belong.  This  is  not  right,  and  lies 
heavy  on  my  mind.  Now  you  have  a  long  ride.  I 
know  well  that  Hans  can  carry  us  both,  but  he  will 
go  better  if  you  alone  ride  him.  And  then  what 
would  be  the  result  should  everyone,  on  such  an  occa- 
sion, drag  his  wife  with  him.-*  The  others  also  stay 
at  home.  You  will  leave  me  here,  Lambert.  Is  it 
not  so.^" 

"Now  it  is  getting  to  be  time,"  said  x\dam  Bellinger, 
coming  out  of  the  door. 

Lambert  stood  irresolute.     He  saw  no   danger  in 


102  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

leaving  Catherine  alone,  but  it  was  very  trying  for 
him  to  separate  himself  from  her  just  at  this  time. 

"Conrad  may  come  back  to  his  dinner  and  find  the 
house  deserted.  Surely  it  is  better,  Lambert,  that  I 
stay  here." 

"Well,  as  you  will,"  said  Lambert. 

He  again  unbuckled  the  pillion  that  he  had  put 
upon  Hans. 

"Does  not  the  maiden  go  along.?"  asked  Adam, 
who  was  already  mounted. 

Lambert  did  not  answer. 

"Well  then,  good-bye,  young  lady;  and  best  thanks. 
Hot!   Mare!" 

He  turned  his  horse,  which  left  the  crib  unwillingly. 

Catherine  flew  into  Lambert's  arms. 

"Ma}^  you  live  happy,  beloved.  I  hope  you  are  not 
displeased  with  me.?" 

"With  you.?" 

His  lips  trembled.  Silently  he  pressed  Catherine 
to  his  breast;  then  with  a  mighty  effort  he  tore  him- 
self away,  swung  himself  upon  Hans,  galloped  after 
his  companion,  who  was  trotting  ahead  on  his  long- 
limbed  horse,  and  at  every  step  of  the  animal  flew 
up  in  the  air,  while  his  sharp  elbows  moved  up  and 
down  like  wings. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Lambert  soon  overtook  the  awkward  rider.  The 
two  young  men  trotted  on  for  a  time  side  by  side  with- 
out speaking,  until  suddenly  the  mare,  panting,  stood 
still.  Adam,  having  thus  been  thrown  upon  the  neck 
of  the  beast,  remarked  that  the  mare  was  a  very  in- 
telligent creature,  and  well  knew  that  it  was  impos- 
sible for  her  to  keep  going  at  such  a  gait;  that  in 
such  a  case  she  always  stopped  to  give  the  rider  time 
for  reflection;  and  that  he  had  always  found  that  one 
also  finally  reaches  his  destination  by  going  on  a 
walk,  and  that  far  easier. 

"But  also  so  much  later,"  said  Lambert,  impa- 
tiently. "If  you  are  absolutely  unable  to  keep  up 
with  me  I  must  leave  you  and  ride  on  ahead." 

"For  God's  sake!"  cried  Adam,  and  thrust  his  heels 
so  forcibly  into  the  sides  of  the  mare  that  she  sprang 
forward,  and  again  fell  into  a  trot.  "For  God's  sake! 
that  will  soon  fail." 

"You  are  a  coward,"  said  Lambert,  "in  that  you 
are  put  to  the  blush  by  a  girl." 

He  turned  back  in  the  saddle  toward  the  block- 
house before  it  should  disappear  from  his  sight  behind 
the  forest-encompassed,  rocky  hill  around  which  they 

were  winding.     Catherine  had  not  left  her  place  in 

103 


I04  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

front  of  the  door.  Though  uncertain  whether  she 
could  see  the  salutation  he  waved  his  hand  to  her, 
and  then  the  rocks  hid  her  from  his  sight. 

An  indescribable  sadness  fell  upon  Lambert  and 
it  did  not  lack  much  but  he  would  have  turned  Hans 
about  and  gone  back  at  full  speed.  But  with  a  strong 
determination  he  overcame  his  painful  emotion.  "I 
am  just  as  great  a  coward,"  said  he  to  himself,  "and 
even  a  greater  one,  for  I  know  better  about  what  is 
going  on,  and  nothing  that  I  do  for  her  should  be 
burdensome  to  me." 

"You  may  well  talk,"  Adam  broke  in  upon  Lam- 
bert's self-communings. 

"Why.?"  asked  Lambert. 

"Should  they  pull  the  scalp  from  over  your  ears 
no  rooster  would  crow  after  that ;  but  my  mother 
would  weep  her  eyes  out." 

"Perhaps  there  may  be  somebody  who  would  rather 
see  my  scalp  on  my  head  than  on  an  Indian's  girdle." 

"Do  you  mean  the  young  lady.^^"  asked  Adam, 
opening  his  mouth  from  ear  to  ear,  and  for  a  moment 
letting  go  of  the  horn  of  the  saddle,  and  pointing 
back  over  his  shoulder  with  his  thumb. 

"Perhaps,"  said  Lambert. 

"Don't  trouble  yourself  about  that,"  said  Adam, 
in  a  comforting  tone.  "Then  I  will  marry  her.  It  is 
already  a  long  time  since  mother  wanted  me  to  marry. 
But  you  know  I  would  not  take  just  anybody. 
The  girl  pleases  me." 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  IO5 

"So!"  said  Lambert. 

"Yes,"  said  Adam.  "Barbara  and  Gussie  and 
Annie  would  doubtless  at  first  cry  a  little,  but  that 
would  come  right  in  time.  I  believe  that  Fritz  and 
August  Volz  are  already  engaged  to  Barbara  and 
Gussie,  and  we  have  always  thought  that  you  would 
marry  Annie." 

"With  or  without  a  scalp?"  asked  Lambert. 

Adam  thought  this  such  a  capital  joke  that  he  stop- 
ped the  mare  to  press  his  fists  into  his  sides  and  break 
out  in  ringing  laughter.  A  fish-hawk,  which  had 
plunged  into  the  creek  among  the  reeds,  flew  away 
frightened,  while  his  warning  voice  rang  out. 

"My  God!"  said  Adam,  "I  really  thought  it  was 
already  one  of  the  mean  French,  or  red-skins." 

"Have  you  during  this  time  of  terror  heard  of 
them .?"  asked  Lambert  as  they  were  riding  along. 

"Once,"  said  Adam,  "about  a  month  ago.  Father 
went  to  Schenectady  with  the  wheat,  and  I  was  alone 
in  the  field,  when  little  Anton  came  running  and  cried 
out:  'The  Indians  have  swum  across  the  creek  and 
are  at  our  house. '  Fear  so  flew  into  my  legs  that  I 
did  not  know  where  my  head  stood,  and  I  wanted  to 
go  right  home  to  help  the  women.  But  when  I  again 
got  my  breath  I  was  standing  before  Eisenlord's 
door.  The  old  man  was  at  home,  and  at  once  sent 
his  youngest  son  to  Peter  Volz',  whence  soon  there 
came  the  old  man  himself  and  Fritz  and  August. 
Then  we  went  courageously  forward,  though  the  cry- 


I06  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

ing  women  did  not  want  us  to  go.  On  the  way  Chris- 
tian Eisenlord  and  young  Peter  Volz  joined  us,  so 
that  we  were  six  or  seven,  although  apparently  there 
could  not  much  reliance  be  placed  on  me,  since  I 
almost  cried  my  eyes  out  from  pity  and  heartache 
that  I  should  now  find  our  house  burned  down,  and 
my  beautiful  Bless  and  the  four  English  hogs,  that  I 
had  just  that  morning  bought  of  John  Mertens,  driven 
away,  and  mother  and  Barbara  and  Gussie  and  Annie 
scalped.  But  as  we  came  out  of  the  woods,  through 
which  we  had  carefully  skulked,  there  stood  our  house 
undisturbed;  and  the  women  were  standing  before 
the  door  scolding  little  Anton,  who  was  crying  bit- 
terly." 

"How  about  the  Indians?"  asked  Lambert. 

"You  must  not  interrupt  me,  if  I  am  to  tell  my 
story  in  an  orderly  way,"  said  Adam.  "Where  was 
I.?" 

"At  Anton,  who  was  crying  bitterly." 

"The  poor  boy!"  said  Adam.  "I  could  not  blame 
him.  He  should  have  gone  in  and  covered  the  In- 
dian— who  was  about  naked,  so  that  the  women  were 
ashamed." 

"Then  there  really  was  one  there.?" 

"Yes,  indeed;  and  he  had  swum  through  the  creek, 
and  lay  on  the  hearth  as  drunk  as  a  red-skin  can  be, 
and  snored  so  that  we  could  hear  him  outdoors. 
Then  the  others  had  a  good  laugh  at  my  expense, 
and,  since,  they  have  constantly  jeered  me  about  the 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  IO7 

drunken  fellow,  though  one  should  not  paint  the  devil 
on  the  wall.  I  indeed  could  do  nothing  about  it. 
But  little  Anton  should  have  been  wiser.  On  ac- 
count of  what  took  place  then,  they  would  not  believe 
my  message  to-day;  and  had  I  not  said  and  sworn 
that  Herkimer  himself  had  told  my  father,  they  would 
have  remained  at  home,  except  Aunt  Ursul,  who  im- 
mediately saddled  both  her  horses." 

"So!  Has  uncle  also  gone  along.?"  asked  Lam- 
bert. 

"We  shall  soon  know,"  said  Adam.  "I  will  call." 
They  stopped  before  the  Ditmar  house.  Adam  rose 
in  his  stirrups,  put  both  hands  to  his  mouth  and 
screamed  so  loud  that  the  doves  on  the  roof  were 
frightened,  and  Melac,  the  watch-dog,  in  the  yard, 
began  to  bark  and  howl  fearfully.  "He,  holla! 
Christian  Ditmar!  holla,  he!"  However  the  long 
figure  of  old  Ditmar  did  not  appear  at  the  upper-half 
of  the  door,  through  which  one  could  see  the  interior. 

Lambert  thought  best  to  go  right  on  and  not  call 
at  William  Teichert's.  His  farm  lay  somewhat  to 
one  side,  at  the  edge  of  the  woods  which  here  bore 
back  from  the  creek  in  a  great  bend  and  came  back 
to  it  again  near  Peter  Volz'  yard.  Here  indeed  they 
had  to  stop,  for  mother  Volz  had  seen  the  riders 
from  a  distance,  and  stood  before  the  door  with  a 
pitcher  of  home-brewed  beer  in  each  hand,  which 
Peter,  her  youngest  son,  had  just  drawn  fresh  from 
the  barrel.       Mother  Volz  was  much   excited,   and 


I08  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

great  tears  rolled  over  her  big  cheeks  as  she  handed 
the  pitchers  to  the  riders,  at  the  same  time  scold- 
ing the  French  and  her  Peter,  who  would  go  to  the 
meeting  and  leave  her — an  old,  helpless  woman — 
alone,  the  good-for-nothing!     , 

"If  I  am  good  for  nothing,"  said  Peter,  "I  cannot 
help  you,  mother.  But  I  must  always  stay  at  home 
and  play  the  baby;  that  is  just  as  it  is." 

"Yes,  that  is  the  case,"  said  Adam,  smacking  his 
lips  forcibly  over  his  beer,  "and  the  rest  of  us  must 
have  a  hard  time  of  it." 

"Then  give  me  the  mare  and  you  stay  here,"  said 
the  courageous  Peter. 

Adam  was  not  disinclined  to  accept  so  agreeable 
an  offer,  and  began  to  climb  out  of  the  saddle  when 
the  mare,  perhaps  misunderstanding  the  motion  of 
the  rider,  or  because  she  perceived  that  she  was  near 
her  own  stable,  suddenly  started  on  a  trot,  to  Adam's 
disappointment  and  Lambert's  satisfaction,  whose 
impatience  at  the  unnecessary  loitering  had  become 
very  great. 

Now,  however,  thanks  to  the  mare's  fixed  purpose 
to  end  her  unusual  labor  for  the  day,  without  stop- 
ping, she  went  on  faster  and  faster — so  that  Adam 
held  convulsively  to  the  horn  of  the  saddle,  while  his 
long,  yellow  hair  flew  about  his  ears — on  along  the 
creek,  past  John  Eisenlord's  house,  where  the  women 
hastened  to  the  door,  and  called,  and  wondering 
looked  after  those  who  were   rushing   past.     Thus 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  lOQ 

they  went  faster  and  faster  until  the  mare  stopped  in 
BelHnger's  yard  with  a  jerk  and  threw  her  rider  over 
her  head  in  the  sand  at  the  feet  of  his  mother  and 
three  sisters  and  younger  brother.  His  mother  called 
out: 

"Run,  little  Anton!  and  open  the  stable  for  the 
mare,  so  that  she  does  not  crush  her  skull  against 
the  door — the  poor  beast !" 

No  one  felt  concerned  for  Adam.  In  fact,  this  was 
the  usual  way  in  which  the  mare,  after  such  a  trip, 
returned  her  rider.  He  soon  got  up  and  rubbed  his 
long  legs  groaning,  while  the  women  surrounded 
Lambert  and  inquired  about  his  journey;  when  he 
got  back ;  and  why  in  the  world  he  yesterday  took  the 
rough  road  through  the  woods.?  how  his  maid-servant 
behaved.?  and  why  he  had  brought  one  from  a  dis- 
tance of  fifty  miles,  when  he  could  easily  have  found 
one — and  perhaps  a  better  one — near  by.? 

Lambert  briefly  thanked  them  for  their  kind  inqui- 
ries, ascertained  how  long  since  the  men  had  gone, 
spurred  his  horse  and,  with  a  brief  salutation,  trotted 
away,  thus  filling  the  beautiful  blonde  Annie  with  not 
a  little  anxiety,  and  compelling  her  to  listen  to  the 
remarks  of  her  sisters,  Barbara  and  Gussie: 

"Now  one  can  clearly  see,  what  we  always  thought, 
that  Lambert  Sternberg  did  not  take  that  long  jour- 
ney to  New  York  on  account  of  the  pines." 

Annie  replied  that  she  cared  nothing  for  Lambert, 
and  that  Fritz  and  August  Volz  had  also  not   yet  de- 


no  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

clared  themselves.  The  mother  took  Annie's  part, 
and  the  dispute  threatened  to  become  serious,  when 
it  happily  occurred  to  them  that  they  had  not  once 
asked  Adam  what  sort  of  a  person  the  new  girl  was. 

They  now  learned  from  the  keen  rider,  who  had 
gone  into  the  house  and  was  rubbing  his  shins  with 
brandy,  that,  in  no  case  was  Lambert  to  have  her, 
but  that  he  himself  was  to  marry  the  girl  as  soon  as 
the  Indians  had  taken  Lambert's  scalp,  and  that  he 
and  Lambert  had  come  to  a  complete  agreement  on 
that  matter. 

While  Catherine's  fate  was  thus  discussed  in  the 
Bellinger  family,  Lambert  pushed  along  on  a  fast  trot 
to  regain  lost  time.  He  had  gathered  from  the  ques- 
tions of  the  women,  and  still  more  from  the  tone  in 
which  they  were  put,  that  the  way  in  which  he  had 
dealt  was  not  thought  favorably  of.  He  was  yester- 
day persuaded  of  this,  and  to  escape  this  neighbor- 
hood interference  he  had  taken  the  road  through  the 
woods.  He  felt  grieved  and  angry  at  his  aunt,  who 
alone  could  have  spread  abroad  the  knowledge  of  his 
return  and  his  relation  to  Catherine.  Still  he  said 
to  himself  that,  since  all  must  shortly  know  it,  it  was 
best  they  should  know  it  as  soon  as  possible.  He 
saw  how  difficult  his  position  in  the  community  would 
be — as  indeed  it  should  be — so  long  as  Catherine  was 
not  his  wife;  possibly  even  after  that;  that,  at  all 
events,  it  was  his  duty  to  make  his  relation  to  Cather- 
ine clear   to   all  eyes.      He    determined  yet    to-day, 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  III 

should  opportunity  offer,  to  speak  to  the  minister  and 
to  seek  the  advice    and  help  of  that  excellent  man. 

He  had  now  come  out  of  what  was  properly  the 
valley  of  the  creek,  near  its  mouth.  Toward  the 
right  of  him  lay  the  broad  German  Flats,  in  the  fork 
between  the  creek  and  the  Mohawk.  The  land,  long 
rescued  from  the  primitive  forest,  was  rich,  and  there 
were  unbroken  lines  of  successive  settlements,  with 
a  small  church  and  a  parsonage  in  the  midst  on  a  hill. 
Before  him,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Mohawk,  whose 
clear  waters  glanced  between  its  bushy  shores,  there 
stood  out  also  on  a  hill,  what  looked  like  a  small  for- 
tification. This,  the  purposed  end  of  his  journey, 
was  Nicolas  Herkimer's  stately  house. 

He  now  discovered  that,  as  he  had  feared,  he 
would  not  be  the  last  one  to  arrive.  In  the  even 
reaches  between  corn-fields  and  bushes  those  coming 
on  foot  or  on  horseback  singly,  or  by  twos,  or  threes, 
from  different  directions,  could  be  seen,  all  moving 
toward  one  point.  There  was  a  house  conveniently 
situated  on  this  side  of  the  river,  diagonally  across 
from  Herkimer's  farm,  where  Hans  Haberkorn,  the 
ferryman,  lived. 

Here,  a  few  minutes  afterward,  Lambert  met  the 
men  whom  he  had  from  a  distance  seen  coming.  By 
them  he  was  greeted  very  cordially,  as  though  all  had 
heard  of  his  journey  to  New  York,  but  not  of  his  re- 
turn. They  wanted  to  know  how  the  matters  had  re- 
sulted and  especially  what  he  had  heard  in  the  city 


112  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

about  the  war  in  Europe ;  whether  the  French  had 
really,  the  year  before  at  Roszbach,  been  so  help- 
lessly slaughtered,  and  whether  the  king  ot  Prussia 
was  this  year  going  to  take  the  field  against  his  count- 
less enemies. 

Lambert  told  them  what  he  knew,  and  on  his  part 
sought  information  about  things  at  home.  Of  the 
five  or  six  men  who  thus  happened  to  meet,  each  gave 
his  impressions  as  best  he  could,  from  which  it  ap- 
peared that  there  were  nearly  as  many  different  opin- 
ions as  there  were  men,  in  the  small  gathering.  Yes, 
while  they  were  eagerly  attacking  Hans  Haberkorn's 
rum,  they  became  so  warm  that  they  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  why  they  were  there,  until  Lambert's 
urgency  induced  them  to  go  on. 

Hans  Haberkorn  thought  there  was  no  hurry  and 
that  they  could  just  as  well  consult  here  as  at  Herki- 
mer's. The  rest,  however,  would  not  stay  behind. 
They  tied  their  horses  in  a  row,  under  an  open  shed, 
to  the  manger,  and  went  upon  the  river;  and  on  the 
short  passage  across  renewed  their  debate  with  m- 
creased  earnestness,  so  that  it  did  not  lack  much  of 
going  from  words  to  blows  on  the  small  scow. 

On  this  account  it  was  fortunate  that,  as  they  landed 
on  the  other  side,  others  joined  them,  of  whom  some 
had  crossed  before,  while  others,  coming  from  the 
other  side,  awaited  the  landing  of  the  ferry-boat  so 
that  they  could  go  on  together.  Over  the  greeting 
they  for  the  moment  forgot  their  contention,  but  they 

I 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  113 

had  proceeded  but  a  few  steps  before  the  war  of 
words  began  again  as  before,  while  those  who  came 
up  afterward  mingled  in  the  crowd  and  took  part  on 
one  or  the  other  side.  So,  scolding  and  quarreling, 
they  reached  the  front  yard  of  Herkimer's  house. 


CHAPTER  IX 

There  might  have  been  a  hundred  who  were  here 
assembled,  all  German  settlers  from  the  Mohawk, 
from  the  creek,  and  some  even  from  Schoharie,  for 
that  far  had  the  circumspect  Herkimer  sent  his  mes- 
sage. In  the  tall,  often  giant-like  men,  who  sat  in 
long  rows  on  the  benches  under  the  projecting  roof 
of  the  house,  in  the  shade,  or  moved  about  on  the 
open,  sunny  lawn,  nobody  would  have  recognized  the 
descendants  of  the  pale  and  emaciated  immigrants 
who,  in  their  time,  landed  in  the  harbor  of  New  York 
and  of  Philadelphia  from  pest-ships,  in  an  inhospita- 
ble country.  So  thought  Lambert,  as  he  cast  his  eye 
over  the  assembly  and  looked  at  those  nearer,  whom 
he  knew  and  soon  singled  out.  There  was  first  the 
distinguished  form  of  Nicolas  Herkimer  himself,  with 
broad  shoulders,  on  which  the  long,  grayish  hair  fell, 
and  the  clear,  blue  eyes,  which  to-day  appeared 
brighter  and  more  thoughtful  than  usual  as  he  spoke 
with  one  and  another,  and  then  again  looked  at  the  po- 
sition of  the  sun  to  see  whether  the  hour  appointed  for 
the  meeting  had  come.  There  was  the  minister  Ros- 
enkrantz,  with  his  kind,  friendly  face  as  storm-tried 
and  weather-browned  as  that  of    any  of  his  people, 

from  whom  he    was    distinguished    only  by  his  black 

114 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  II5 

clothes  and  his  large  snuff-box,  which  he  was  con- 
stantly turning  about  in  his  fingers.  There  were  his 
neighbors,  the  Volzes,  and  the  Eisenlords,  father 
and  sons,  and  William  Teichert,  and  old  Adam  Bell- 
inger; and  at  last  he  also  discovered,  at  the  farthest 
corner,  his  uncle,  Christian  Ditmar,  still  as  ever  and 
brooding  with  his  fur  cap  drawn  far  down  over  his 
face.  Lambert  was  trying  to  press  through  to  the 
old  man,  as  Richard,  Herkimer's  youngest  son,  of 
the  same  age  as  Conrad,  and  a  dear  friend  of  both 
brothers,  touched  his  shoulder. 

"God  bless  you,  Lambert !  You  have  come  back  at 
the  right  time,  I  should  say.    Where  is  your  brother.?" 

Lambert  informed  him  that  this  morning  Conrad 
went  hunting,  and  had  not  yet  returned  when  he  him- 
self left  home. 

"This  will  be  very  unpleasant  news  for  father,"  said 
Richard.  "He  has  already  asked  a  couple  of  times 
for  both  of  you.  There  he  comes  himself.  I  will 
afterward  talk  with  you,  Lambert." 

It  was  painful  enough  for  Lambert  that  he  was 
obliged  to  give  the  same  information  to  the  honored 
man  who  so  heartily  welcomed  him.  "I  knew  it  al- 
ready from  your  aunt,"  said  Herkimer,  "but  I  hoped 
that  he  had  meanwhile  come.  It  is  very  unpleasant 
that  he  fails  us.  I  hear  that  he  has  been  for  eight 
days  at  the  lake,  and  surely  knows  more  about  the 
movements  of  our  enemies  than  any  one  of  us.  To 
be  sure  I  have  on  the  whole  been  well  informed,  but 


Il6  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

it  would  be  desirable  to  have  some  one  on  whom  I 
could  call.      What  did  he  tell  you  ?" 

"Only  this,"  replied  Lambert,  and  then  told  Her- 
kimer the  little  he  had  learned  from  Conrad;  that  the 
Onondaga  Indians  were  assembled  in  large  number, 
and  that  it  was  Conrad's  impression  that  it  was  not 
for  a  good  purpose. 

"That  agrees  altogether  with  my  other  reports," 
said  Nicolas  Herkimer,  "These  rascals  have  already 
for  a  long  time  played  false,  and  we  shall  doubtless 
soon  have  them  on  our  necks.  Listen,  Lambert;  I 
have  thought  of  placing  you  in  an  important  position, 
and  before  we  enter  upon  our  consultation  I  wish  to 
come  to  an  understanding  with  you.  Mr.  Rosen- 
krantz,  a  moment." 

The  preacher  drew  near  and  heartily  greeted  Lam- 
bert, and  began  at  once  to  ask  about  his  journey,  but 
Herkimer  quickly  interrupted  the  talkative  minister. 

"That  will  do  as  well  later,  dominie,"  said  he,  "we 
have  now  something  more  important  to  think  of.  I 
wish  to  explain  our  plan  to  Lambert,  on  whom  we 
can  rely  in  any  event.  This,  Lambert,  is  our  plan: 
After  our  losses  of  last  year  we  are,  in  any  case,  too 
weak  for  open  warfare  against  an  enemy  far  exceed- 
ing us  in  number  and  able  to  choose  his  own  time  and 
place  for  attack.  The  only  thing  left  for  us  to  do  is, 
by  constant  and  regular  scouting,  as  well  as  possible 
to  learn  his  movements,  so  that,  before  an  actual  at- 
tack follows,  we  can    retire    to    our   fortified  points. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  11/ 

One  of  these  naturally  is  the  fort,  which  is  in  a  good, 
defensible  condition.  The  second  is  my  house.  For 
this  I  stand,  and  this  they  did  not  even  venture  to  at- 
tack last  year.  About  the  third  I  will  soon  speak  with 
you.  In  addition  to  this,  so  that  all  may  be  informed 
as  soon  as  possible,  we  will  establish  signals  up  the 
river  and  away  from  it.  For  this  purpose  we  must 
form  small  squads  of  troopers  which  can  be  rapidly 
concentrated  at  threatened  points  and  occupy  the 
enemy  until  wives  and  children  have  accomplished 
their  flight.  Cattle,  and  what  else  can  be  concealed, 
we  must  secure  beforehand.  Now,  as  to  what  con- 
cerns you:  It  is  most  likely  that  this  time  they  will 
select  the  creek  for  attack.  They  passed  by  you  last 
year,  hence  they  will  hope  to  find  the  more  with  you. 
And  then  they  know — or  believe — that  here  on  the 
Mohawk  we  are  better  prepared  and  more  fully  in- 
formed than  you.  The  last  is  probably  the  case. 
You  live  so  far  off  that  you  could  not,  upon  being 
pursued,  have  much  prospect  of  reaching  either  here 
or  the  fort ;  and  for  the  same  reason,  we  could  as  lit- 
tle help  you.  Your  father,  who  was  an  intelligent 
man,  understood  this  well,  and  so  strengthened  your 
house  that  it  could  for  a  short  time  be  held  by  a  few 
well-protected  men,  furnished  with  ample  provisions 
and  ammunition,  against  a  large  troop.  On  this  I 
have  built  my  plan.  You  are  a  good  rifleman,  and 
your  brother  Conrad  is  the  best  in  the  colony.  You 
are  both  courageous,  resolute  men,  and  you  have  got 


Il8  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

to  carry  your  own  hide  to  market,  which  speaks  for 
itself  in  such  circumstances.  I  will  give  you  two  or 
three  men,  whom  you  may  yourself  select,  and  it  will 
then  be  your  business  to  protect  yourselves  and  your 
neighbors — such  as  the  Ditmars,  Teicherts  and  per- 
haps also  Volzes — who  can  reach  you — Eisenlords 
and  Bellingers  are  nearer  here — until  we  are  in  a  con- 
dition to  bring  help.  I  need  not  tell  you,  Lambert, 
upon  how  responsible  and  dangerous  a  post  I  place 
you.  On  your  watchfulness  hangs  not  only  the  life 
of  your  neighbors,  but  perhaps  also  the  fate  of  all  of 
us  about  here.  On  the  other  hand  it  may  happen 
that  we,  with  the  help  of  soldiers  from  Albany,  can- 
not ourselves  resist  the  enemy,  and  so  can  either  not 
help  you  at  all,  or  not  at  the  right  time.  Will  you, 
Lambert  Sternberg,  undertake  the  charge.^" 

"I  will,"  said  Lambert. 

Nicolas  Herkimer  shook  hands  with  him  heartily, 
and  turned  to  other  groups.  The  minister,  who  had 
listened,  eagerly  twisting  his  small  clothes,  and  often 
bowing  his  head,  now  reached  out  his  hand  to  Lam- 
bert and  said: 

"You  have  not  undertaken  a  small  matter,  dear 
young  man.      May  God  help  you!" 

"Amen!  honored  sir,"  replied  Lambert.  "I  need 
your  help  perhaps  more  than  you  are  aware  of.  I 
came  here  to  make  to  you  a  communication,  if  op- 
portunity offered,  highly  important  to  myself,  and  to 
ask  your  advice.  Will  you  listen  to  me  a  few  min- 
utes.?    I  will  try  to  be  brief," 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  II9 

"Speak,"  said  the  minister,  "thpugh  I  think  I  al- 
ready know  what  you  wish  to  say." 

Lambert  looked  inquiringly  at  the  minister. 

"My  dear  friend,  your  Aunt  Ditmar  has  already 
told  me  something  which  I  have  interpreted  accord- 
ing to  the  disposition  of  young  people.      But  say  on." 

Lambert  now  told  the  worthy  man  the  history  of 
his  love  for  Catherine  from  the  first  moment  when  he 
saw  her  on  the  deck  of  the  ship  to  that  hour,  and  at 
last  made  known  his  earnest  wish  that  he  might,  be- 
fore all  the  world,  call  her  his  wife. 

"I  understand,  I  understand,"  said  the  minister, 
who  had  been  all  ears;  "yes,  yes;  for  this  you  may 
well  wish,  both  on  the  girl's  account  and  your  own; 
yes,  also  on  account  of  Conrad,  who  otherwise  might 
deal  some  silly  blows." 

"And  so,"  said  Lambert,  "as  the  danger  is  threat- 
ening, I  wish  as  soon  as  possible  to  be  united  to 
Catherine  forever." 

"Forever!"  said  the  minister  earnestly.  "This  I 
also  fully  understand.  Also  short  and  well,  dear 
young  friend,  I  will  gladly  serve  you,  as  it  is  my 
office  and  my  heartfelt  wish.  We  cannot  here  always 
observe  the  forms  prescribed  by  the  church,  but  God 
sees  the  heart.  So  I  think  to-morrow,  satisfied  with 
a  single  proclamation  of  the  bans,  we  will  attend  to 
the  marriage  immediately  after  public  worship.  Are 
you  satisfied  with  that.-^  Good;  and  then  I  must  ask 
you  yet  one  thing,  viz. :  That  you  this  evening  take  the 


I20  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

lady  to  whom  you  are  engaged  to  your  Aunt  Ditmar,s 
and  leave  her  there  until  to-morrow,  and  from  there 
bring  her  to  the  wedding.  I  repeat,  God  looks  at  the 
heart,  but  appearances  sway  our  judgment,  and  so 
for  the  people's  sake  I  wish  you  would  follow  my  ad- 
vice." 

"I  will  gladly  do  it,  worthy  sir,"  said  Lambert.  "I 
will  at  once  speak  to  my  aunt  about  it." 

"There  she  comes  now,"  said  the  minister. 

Aunt  Ursul  had  been  actively  helping  Herkimer's 
women  in  the  house,  which  the  labor  of  entertaining 
so  many  guests  at  once  made  necessary.  She  now 
declared  that,  with  her  consent,  not  another  pitcher 
of  beer  or  glass  of  rum  should  be  furnished.  "I  know 
my  people,  and  if  anything  is  to  come  out  of  the  con- 
sultation, you  must  begin  now,  for  an  hour  hence  you 
might  as  well  preach  reason  to  horses.  Say  this  to 
Herkimer,  dominie.  I  will  look  after  my  old  man. 
You  are  welcome  to  go  with  me,  Lambert.  He  has 
already  asked  about  you — something  that  he  doesn't 
do  every  day.  But  the  French  you  know  bring  him 
into  harness.      He  is  to-day  quite  changed." 

Lambert  went  to  his  uncle  with  his  aunt,  but  could 
not  discover  any  change  in  him.  The  old  man  kept 
sitting  in  the  same  corner  on  the  bench,  the  fur  cap 
drawn  far  down  on  his  forehead.  His  sunken  head 
was  scarcely  raised  in  returning  Lambert's  salutation 
with  a  silent  nod.  However,  the  otherwise  half- 
closed  eyes   looked   for  a   moment   from    under   the 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  121 

heavy  eyebrows  in  a  peculiar  glance,  but  his  thoughts 
must  have  wandered  far  away.  He  appeared  not  to 
hear  what  Lambert  said  to  him. 

"Only  let  him  be,"  said  Aunt  Ursul;  "he  now  has 
other  things  in  his  head,  and  for  us  it  is  high  time 
that  we  at  last  come  to  the  business.  It  will  likely 
go    like  a  mixture  of  cabbage  and  turnips." 

Aunt  Ursul  appeared  to  be  right.  The  noise  kept 
increasing.  They  went  around  with  pitchers  and 
flasks  in  their  hands,  and  drank  to  one  another,  and 
talked  and  screamed  at  each  other,  till  suddenly  first 
one  then  another  shouted:  "Still!"  "Quiet!"  Now 
the  well-known  form  of  the  minister  appeared,  as 
they  crowded  through  one  another.  He  had  climbed 
on  a  table  and  stood  there.  He  had  quit  turning  his 
snuff-box  about  in  his  fingers  and  waited  until  they 
should  be  ready  to  listen  to  him.  "Still!"  "Quiet!" 
sounded  forth  more  authoritatively  than  before.  But 
quiet  was  not  forthcoming.  In  certain  distant  groups 
the  loud  talking  continued,  and  a  coarse  voice  cried: 
"What  does  the  dominie  want.?" 

"What  I  want,"  called  the  minister,  "I  will  soon 
tell  you.  I  beg  you,  back  there,  that  you  will  at 
length  keep  your  mouths  shut  and  bring  your  wisdom, 
if  you  have  any,  to  market  at  the  right  time  and  to 
the  right  place." 

The  rough  word  awakened  laughter  everywhere, 
but  after  the  laughter  it  became  still. 

The  minister  slipped  the  snuff-box  into  his  pocket, 


122  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

took  off  his  large  three-cornered  hat,  shoved  back  the 
much-used,  short  wig  and  thus  proceeded: 

"I  wish  with  you  all  to  call  upon  the  Lord,  and 
beseech  Him  that  this  time  the  cup,  which  we  emptied 
last  year  to  the  last  bitter  dregs,  the  taste  of  which 
still  lies  on  our  tongues,  may  graciously  pass  from  us; 
and  if  in  His  incomprehensible  wisdom  he  has  decreed 
that  it  shall  not  be  so,  and  that  He  will  again  try  our 
hearts  and  reins,  that  then,  in  His  grace.  He  will  give 
us  strength  to  endure  the  severe  trial  like  brave  men 
who  know  that  the  good  God,  in  spite  of  all  and 
everything,  does  not  forsake  him  who  does  not  for- 
sake himself,  and  helps  him  who  helps  himself.  This, 
dear  friends  and  countrymen,  is  a  word  which  has 
been  profitable  in  many  ways  and  at  many  times,  but 
never  and  for  no  one  more  than  for  us  at  this  time. 
Who  will  deliver  us  out  of  our  distress  and  danger 
here,  on  the  utmost  border  of  the  earth,  occupied  by 
people  of  our  race,  where  surrounding  enemies  lurk 
and  go  about  to  destroy  us,  but  God  and  ourselves? 
And  with  God's  help  we  will  save  ourselves — of  this 
I  am  fully  convinced — if  we  keep  His  commandment 
which  reads:  'Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thy- 
self. '  Since  if  we,  as  it  becomes  neighbors,  stand  be- 
side each  other,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  with  one  mind 
and  one  heart,  and  full  of  the  same  courage  in  danger, 
distress  and  death,  then  and  only  then,  dear  friends, 
shall  we  overcome  the  danger  and  deliver  ourselves 
from  the  distress,   and  die,  should  death  meet   us,  as 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 23 

brave  men,  discharging  our  highest  duty  as  men  and 
Christians.  And  now,  dear  friends,  after  having  said 
what  I,  as  a  servant  of  the  Word  of  God  and  a  man 
of  peace,  wished  to  say,  from  a  full  and  loving  heart, 
I  thank  you  that  you  have  listened  to  me  attentively. 
Will  you  not  with  equal  attention  listen  to  the  man 
whom  we  all  know  and  honor,  an  honest  farmer  like 
yourselves,  and  in  addition  a  brave  soldier.  May  the 
Lord  bless  him  so  that  he  may  give  you  good  advice; 
and  may  the  Lord  bless  you  so  that  you  may  take 
advice;  and  may  He  protect  us  all  and  let  the  light 
of  His  countenance  fall  upon  us  and  give  us  peace. 
Amen." 

The  earnest  words  of  the  minister,  who  spoke — 
especially  toward  the  last — with  a  deeply  moved 
voice,  did  not  entirely  fail  of  their  effect.  An  approv- 
ing murmur  ran  here  and  there  through  the  assembly. 
But  the  voice  of  the  speaker  had  scarcely  ceased  and 
his  form  disappeared  from  the  table  when  again, 
though  not  as  loud  as  before,  some  voices  were  raised 
asking  what  was  the  object  of  the  talk.^  whether  they 
had  come  here  to  hear  a  sermon  ? 

"Talking  costs  no  money  and  the  minister  can  talk 
well.  He  was  last  year  one  of  the  first  to  run  for  the 
fort,  and  left  the  rest  to  their  fate,  but  truly  it  is  well 
not  to  be  before  a  gun  when  it  is  fired  off." 

So  here  and  there  spake  those  who  were  dissat- 
isfied. Others  said  they  should  be  ashamed  to  say 
such  things  about  so  excellent  a  man.     Others  called: 


124  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"Quiet !  don't  you  see  that  Herkimer  wants  to  speak?" 

So  at  last  Nicolas  Herkimer,  who  had  already  stood 
on  tiae  table  a  few  minutes  and  let  his  keen,  earnest 
eyes  pass  over  the  assembly,  raised  his  voice.  He 
spoke  long  and  impressively.  He  unfolded  in  every 
particular  the  plan  which  he  had,  in  its  chief  parts, 
before  told  Lambert.  In  it  he  had  thought  of  every- 
thing, remembered  everything,  and  reduced  to  its 
smallest  compass  the  threatened  danger  that  could  be 
avoided. 

"That  is  what  I  have  to  say,"  he  concluded.  "Now 
it  is  for  you  to  test  my  proposals.  We  are  free  men, 
and  each  one  can  in  the  end  do  what  he  pleases,  and 
carry  his  hide  to  market  this  way  or  that.  But  that 
we  are  free  does  not  forbid  us  to  be  united.  On  the 
other  hand,  only  by  being  united  shall  we  preserve 
and  protect  our  freedom.  United  we  cannot  be  and 
become,  if  you  talk  and  cry  out  among  each  other  as 
just  now  you  did,  again.  Whoever  knows  anything 
better  than  I,  let  him  come  here  and  speak.  Let  him 
who  does  not,  keep  still  and  listen.  And  let  us  not 
forget — what  we  tell  our  children — that  he  who  will 
not  hear  must  feel.      Who  wishes  to  speak  after  me.?" 

"I!"     "I!"  called  out  a  couple  of  dozen  voices. 

"You  cannot  all  speak  at  once,"  said  Herkimer  with 
some  bitterness;  "so  you  come  here,  Hans  Haberkorn. 
You  screamed  the  loudest." 

Hans  Haberkorn,  the  ferryman,  appeared  beside 
Herkimer  on  the  table.     The  small,  undersized,  bare- 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  12  5 

foot  fellow  who  had,  behind  the  bar  connected  with 
his  ferry,  so  often  spoken  large  words  and  scolded 
his  rich  neighbor  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  could 
not  let  the  opportunity  pass  to  tell  the  last  speaker  the 
truth — as  he  expressed  it — before  all  the  world.  He 
wanted  to  know  whether  it  was  honest  and  neighborly 
in  Nicolas  Herkimer  that  he  wanted  three  ferries  at 
the  same  time  over  the  river  within  half  a  mile  of 
each  other,  after  it  had  been  promised  him,  Hans 
Haberkorn,  that  he  should  be  the  only  ferryman  on 
this  ground  ?  That  he  on  that  account  had  settled  on 
a  piece  of  land  which  consisted  of  moor  and  sand, 
and  on  which  he  would  long  since  have  starved  if  he 
had  not  also  a  beer  saloon.  Now  the  two  ferries 
should  be  used  only  in  urgent  cases,  and  then  again 
discontinued,  or — what  would  follow — let  the  wolf 
eat.  It  was  absolutely  certain  that  one  ferry  without 
a  beer  saloon  could  not  support  itself.  Both  the 
other  ferries  would  want  to  set  up  beer  saloons,  and 
then  it  would  be  to  him,  personally,  the  same  whether 
the  French  came  to-day  or  to-morrow  and  killed  him 
with  his  wife  and  children.  For  his  part  he  would 
rather  be  put  to  death  at  once  than  starve  to  death 
by  degrees. 

"Hans* Haberkorn  is  right!"  called  out  half  a  dozen 
voices. 

"Shame  on  the  good-for-nothing  fellow  who  thinks 
only  about  himself!"  cried  others,  and  pressed  toward 
th«?  table  from  which  Hans  Haberkorn  quickly  jumped. 


126  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

The  place  he  vacated  was  again  occupied  by  big  John 
Mertens,  who  had  a  large  farm  on  the  moor  between 
the  Mohawk  and  the  creek,  near  the  church,  and  by 
some  was  considered  to  be  better  off  than  Herkimer 
himself.  In  any  case  one  could  always  be  sure  that 
John  Mertens  would  oppose  anything  that  Herkimer 
and  the  minister  wanted,  of  whom  he  observed  that 
they  always  stuck  under  the  same  cover.  With  this 
— his  favorite  expression — he  began  his  discourse, 
saying:  That  one  might  well  know  what  to  think  of 
a  plan  that  had  been  formed  without  consulting  him, 
John  Mertens,  who  also  had  a  word  to  say,  having 
ten  head  of  cattle  in  the  pasture  more  than  people 
whom  he  would  not  name;  nor  would  he  speak  of 
the  sheep  and  the  English  hogs  which  he  had  first 
introduced;  that  every  child  knew  that  one  could  not 
bring  sheep  out  of  a  stable  when  the  roof  over  their 
heads  was  afire;  nor  could  one  drive  fifty  hogs  away 
so  fast  that  a  lame  Indian  could  not  overtake  them, 
not  to  speak  of  a  dozen  who  could  run.  They  might 
think  of  John  Mertens  so  or  so,  but  he  is  an  honest 
fellow  who  does  not  hide  his  meaning  behind  a  bush. 
This  was  what  he  wanted  to  say — The  discourse  of 
the  big  farmer  was  very  confused,  and  was  partly  lost 
in  the  fat  of  his  double  chin;  but  his  adherents,  of 
whom  the  number  was  not  small,  showed  their  appro- 
bation with  screams  and  yells.  The  opposite  party 
did  not  fail  to  pay  back  such  an  answer  as  was  due. 
A  dreadful  tumult  arose,  which   Nicolas  Herkimer's 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  12/ 

powerful  voice  could  not  overcome.  It  seemed  as  if 
the  consultation  on  whose  issue  the  weal  or  woe  of 
hundreds  hung,  through  the  folly  and  conceit  of  a 
couple  of  dozen  would  end  in  empty  confusion  and 
disorder. 

Suddenly  there  stood  beside  Nicolas  Herkimer  a 
person,  the  mere  sight  of  whom,  as  with  a  blow, 
brought  the  boisterous  assembly  to  order,  as  though  a 
dead  man  had  become  alive  and  wished  to  address 
them.  The  giant-long,  skeleton-lean  form  of  Chris- 
tian Ditmar,  whose  bony  hands  were  stretched  apart 
as  if  in  conjuration,  while,  from  under  the  thick  fur 
cap  the  gray  hair  in  disordered  strands  was  whipped 
by  the  wind  about  his  ghost-like  face,  was  awe-inspir- 
ing. Then  he  raised  his  voice,  which  now  shrieked 
frantically,  and  then  again  rung  out  like  thunder,  and 
thus  spoke: 

"So  is  being  fulfilled  the  Word  of  God:  'The  sins 
of  the  fathers  shall  be  visited  upon  the  children  to  the 
third  and  fourth  generation. '  Yes,  the  sins  of  the 
fathers.  You  have  quarreled  with  each  other  and 
raised  your  arms  against  each  other  while  French 
wolves  are  howling  around  the  German  flock,  and 
have  worried  and  killed  as  their  wicked  hearts  desired. 
They  murdered  my  parents  and  brothers  and  sisters. 
I  saw  it  with  my  own  eyes.  I  saw  too  my  parents' 
house  go  up  in  flames,  and  our  neighbors'  houses 
burning,  and  the  city  became  a  ruin  and  an  ash-heap 
— the  beautiful  proud  city  on  the    Neckar.     Among 


128  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

the  ruins  wandered  weeping  wives  looking  among  the 
ashes  for  the  bones  of  husbands  and  brothers,  and 
cried:  'Woe!'  *Woe!'  *A  deadly  curse  on  you 
hangmen  and  murdering  incendiaries!' 

"I,  a  weak  boy,  cried  along  with  them:  'Woe! 
"Woe!  A  curse  upon  you,  you  hangmen,  and  murder- 
ing incendiaries ! '  After  many  years  I  came  here,  and 
again  found  them,  the  mean  French  wolves,  howling 
around  the  German  flock;  and  I  disputed  with  the 
rest  and  separated  from  the  others,  and  went  out  with 
my  wife  and  my  sons  to  take  vengeance  on  those  who 
had  killed  my  parents  and  all  my  kindred.  How  did 
the  vengeance  look  when  my  four  brave  boys  lay 
dead  at  their  father's  feet,  each  with  a  bullet  through 
his  breast?" 

Christian  Ditmar  was  silent  a  few  moments.  He 
must  suppress  the  sadness  that  rose  in  his  heart  at 
these  recollections.  He  then  proceeded  with  increas- 
ing emotion: 

"And  so  you  have  suffered  and  bled,  earlier  and 
later,  under  the  greedy  teeth.  However  I,  who  have 
suffered  more  than  you  all,  I  tell  you  that  I  deserved 
it  since  I  blindly  followed  the  voice  of  my  heart  cry- 
ing for  vengeance  and  did  not  hearken  to  the  advice 
of  more  prudent  men;  and  so  you  have  deservedly 
suffered,  and  will  suffer,  since  you  also  will  not  listen, 
you  fools  and  madmen,  and  propose  to  separate  as 
you  came,  the  one  this  way,  the  other  that,  by  which 
the  wolves  will  again    have  an  easy  play.      But  then 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 29 

your  own  and  your  children's  blood  will  rest  on  you 
as  my  children's  blood  has  come  upon  me.      Here — !" 

Christian  Ditmar  tore  his  fur  cap  from  his  head. 
A  broad,  fearful  scar  ran  like  a  stream  of  blood  over 
the  high  forehead  from  one  temple  to  the  other. 

"Here!"  he  repeated,  while  with  his  forefinger  he 
pointed  to  the  track  of  blood;  "here!  here!"  He 
raised  both  hands  to  his  head,  and  with  a  dull  cry  that 
rang  dreadfully  through  the  silent  assembly,  he  fell 
helpless.  Nicolas  Herkimer  caught  him  in  his  arms; 
but  soon  the  old  man  gathered  himself  up  and,  with 
Lambert's  help,  who  quickly  sprang  to  his  aid,  de- 
scended from  the  table  and  walked  slowly  to  the  en- 
trance into  the  door-yard,  supported  by  the  strong 
arm  of  his  wife  and  attended  by  Lambert. 

"Have  you  now  heard?"  said  Aunt  Ursul  to  the 
rest  who  crowded  around,  helpful  and  eager.  "Have 
you  now  heard,  you  straw-heads  ?  Why  do  you  stand 
about  here  and  gape?  I  can  take  care  of  my  old 
man  alone.  Better  go  and  do  what  he  has  told  you. 
You  also  stay  here,  Lambert,  and  when  you  pass  our 
house  stop  a  moment.      I  wish  to  speak  with  you." 

Lambert  brought  out  the  horses  of  his  relatives 
from  the  long  row  of  those  which  were  swinging  their 
tails  under  the  shed,  and  bridled  them.  He  now 
helped  into  the  saddle  his  uncle,  who  had  fallen  back 
into  his  former  stupidity,  and  after  his  great  excite- 
ment seemed  to  take  no  farther  part  in  the  matter. 
Meanwhile  Aunt  Ursul  had  resolutely  brought  a  stool 


130  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

and  from  it  mounted  her  horse.  Lambert  looked  at  the 
retreating  figures  until  they  reached  the  ferry,  where 
Hans  Haberkorn's  oldest  boy,  in  the  absence  of  his 
father,  attended  to  the  service,  and  then  returned  to 
the  meeting,  in  which  there  now  prevailed  a  very 
different  mood. 

The  appearance  and  words  of  Christian  Ditmarhad 
produced  a  powerful  effect.  Everybody  knew  the 
witless  Christian  and  his  history,  and  that  he  had 
been  dumb  since  he  had  lost  his  sons,  and  his  oldest 
friends  could  no  longer  remember  the  sound  of  his 
voice.  And  now  the  dumb  had  opened  his  mouth 
and  had  spoken  fearful  words,  which  cut  to  the  heart 
those  who  listened  in  dumb  wonderment.  Yes,  yes; 
it  was,  if  not  a  miracle,  at  least  a  sign — a  gray  sign 
— well  enough  understood  by  the  superstitious. 
When  men  are  silent  stones  will  speak.  They  had 
not  been  silent  before — far  otherwise — but  they  had 
not  listened;  they  would  now  listen;  they  wanted  to 
hear  Herkimer  explain  his  views  once  more. 

Nicolas  Herkimer  did  so,  and  with  a  result  far  dif- 
ferent from  the  first.  They  now  found  that  it  must 
be  altogether  so,  and  not  otherwise — that  better  ad- 
vice could  not  be  given.  Should  the  French  this  time 
select  Canada  Creek  as  the  first  point  of  attack,  as 
to  all  appearance  they  would,  it  would  be  very  bad 
for  Lambert  Sternberg  and  the  Ditmars  and  the  Eisen- 
lords  and  the  rest.  But  it  could  not  be  helped. 
When  now  Lambert  appeared  on  the  table  and  in  a 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  I3I 

few  plain  words  said  that  he  was  proud  to  assume 
the  existing  responsibility,  and  tha  the  would  hold  out 
on  his  post  to  his  last  breath,  and  that  he  now  de- 
sired the  young  men  who  had  a  heart  and  a  good  rifle 
for  the  undertaking,  at  once  to  go  with  him  to-day; 
then  August  and  Fritz  Volz  and  Christian  Eisenlord, 
and  half  a  dozen  others,  cried  out:  "I!"  "I!"  with 
one  voice,  and  pressing  up  joined  the  fighting  band. 

The  leaders  of  the  three  cavalry  squads  were  now 
selected.  These  were  to  help  those  on  and  away 
from  the  Mohawk,  and  on  the  creek,  as  they  were  flee- 
ing to  the  forts.  So  also  right  men  were  quickly  ap- 
pointed for  the  old  ferry,  and  for  the  added  new  ones, 
and  for  the  other  important  posts  which  were  yet  to 
be  provided  for. 

The  excellent  spirit  which  had  seized  the  assembly 
made  them  unwilling  to  hear  any  more  quarreling  and 
strife;  and  those  who  grumbled  secretly,  such  as  Hans 
Haberkorn,  John  Hertens  and  others,  thought  it  bet- 
ter policy  to  lay  aside  their  opposition  for  a  more  con- 
venient time. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  Nicolas  Herkimer 
declared  the  business  finished,  and  asked  the  minis- 
ter to  close  the  meeting.  The  minister  put  up  his 
snuff-box,  stepped  on  the  table  and  spoke  with  a  loud 
voice  which  clearly  indicated  deep  feeling,  as  follows: 

"Dear  neighbors  and  friends:  I  will  not  speak  long, 
for  you  are  in  a  hurry  to  get  home  to  your  wives  and 
children.     I  will  only  ask  you  with  me  briefly  to  thank 


132  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

God  that  He  has  opened  our  hearts  to  the  spirit  of 
brotherHness  and  love,  and  to  beseech  Him  that  He 
will  keep  awake  in  us  this  spirit  for  the  miserable 
days  with  which  we  are  now  threatened.  Then  this 
open  heart  and  this  wakeful  spirit  will  make  our  hands 
strong,  and  we  shall  live  in  a  strong  tower,  which  is 
our  God.  And  the  prince.of  this  world,  however  ter- 
rible he  may  be,  will  accomplish  nothing  against  the 
eternal  God  in  heaven,  who  will  not  leave  His  brave 
Germans.  And  now,  dear  neighbors  and  friends,  go 
home,  and  keep  your  eyes  stiff  and  your  powder  dry. 
To-morrow,  as  may  happen,  if  you  have  more  to  do 
and  cannot  come  to  church,  no  damage  will  be  done. 
God  give  us  all  a  happy  reunion.   Amen." 

"Amen!"  Amen!"  sounded  forth  everywhere  in 
the  circle  of  men,  among  whom  there  were  none  who 
had  not  found  for  the  moment  a  deep  and  holy  ear- 
nestness. They  had  assembled  in  disputation  and 
quarreling.  They  separated  in  peace  and  harmony. 
Most  of  them  at  their  departure  went  to  shake  hands 
with  Nicolas  Herkimer,  and  specially  assured  him 
that  he  could  in  any  case  rely  on  them.  The  honor 
of  a  pinch  of  snuff  from  the  minister  was  sought  by 
so  many  that  the  noble  man  could  at  last,  laughing, 
only  present  the  empty  box.  The  young  people  who 
desired  to  be  placed  on  the  most  dangerous  post,  had 
gathered  about  Lambert,  and  it  required  Herkimer's 
authority  to  settle  the  choice.  Lambert  had  declared 
that  he  could  not  accept  more  than  four,   since  he 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 33 

himself  and  Conrad  must  also  be  added,  making  six 
good  rifles  for  the  protection  of  the  house.  A  larger 
number  would  unnecessarily  consume  food  and  am- 
munition in  case  they  had  to  stand  a  siege.  So  then, 
to  grieve  no  one,  the  lot  should  determine,  and  it  fell 
on  Fritz  Volz,  from  the  creek;  Jacob  Ehrlich  and 
Anthony  Bierman,  from  the  Mohawk;  and  on  Rich- 
ard Herkimer.  Lambert  was  satisfied  with  the  issue. 
They  were,  on  the  whole,  wide-awake  young  men — 
at  least  Fritz  Volz  and  Richard  Herkimer,  his  special 
friends.  They  agreed  that  the  last  two,  who  lived 
near  enough,  should  occupy  the  post  yet  this  evening, 
and  that  the  two  others  should  come  early  in  the 
morning. 

Now  at  last,  after  about  all  who  had  been  assem- 
bled had  gone,  could  Lambert  leave  Nicolas  Herki- 
mer, who  said:  "I  will  keep  you  no  longer  now.  I 
will  ride  over  to-morrow,  as  there  are  yet  many  things 
about  which  I  want  to  talk  to  you."  Lambert  had 
not  improperly  pressed  to  go.  As  he  reached  the 
other  side  he  found  the  Eisenlords,  the  Teicherts  and 
a  dozen  others  who  all,  with  a  glass  of  Hans  Haber- 
korn's  genuine,  were  discussing  what  they  had  heard 
and  decided  upon.  He  shook  hands  with  them  and 
hastened  on,  Fritz  Volz  calling  after  him  that  he 
would  see  him  in  the  evening.  As  now  he  gave  loose 
rein  to  his  horse  he  cast  an  anxious,  inquiring  glance 
at  the  sky,  in  which  the  sun  had  nearly  run  its  course. 
It  was  perhaps  yet  half  an  hour  to  its  setting.     On 


134  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

his  left  the  level  fields  and  marshes  shimmered  and 
glimmered  in  red,  blended  lights,  so  that  he  could 
hardly  distinguish  the  shingled  roofs  of  the  houses; 
and  the  forms  of  riders  and  footmen  appeared  now 
and  then  as  dark  points  in  the  sea  of  fire.  To  the 
right,  where  the  farther  he  went  the  nearer  did  the 
hills  and  rocks  press  toward  him,  the  mighty  trunks 
of  the  giant  pines  glowed  in  dark  purple,  and  their 
branching  tops  blazed  in  green-golden  flames  to  the 
cloudless  sky.  With  every  hoof-beat  of  the  horse 
the  sun  sunk  deeper,  and  Lambert  had  just  left  Bel- 
linger's farm  behind  when  the  sea  of  fire  to  the  left 
was  extinguished  by  a  blue  fog;  and  toward  evening 
only  the  highest  tops  of  the  tallest  trees  reflected  the 
departing  light  of  day.  Night  soon  came  on.  As  his 
noble  beast  rapidly  struck  the  grassy  soil  with  strong 
hoofs  he  saw  that  he  could  not  reach  home  in  less 
than  an  hour. 

A  nameless  discontent  seized  him.  The  longing 
for  the  beloved  one,  which  he  had  so  nobly  fought  all 
these  hours,  now  asserted  its  rights,  and  so  filled  his 
breast  that  he  could  hardly  breathe.  Minutes  seemed 
like  hours.  There  was  also  another  distressing  feel- 
ing— a  feeling  of  fear  for  something  he  could  not  con- 
ceive of,  for  which  he  had  no  name,  and  which  may 
on  that  account  have  been  more  terrible.  In  all  his 
life  he  had  never  before  had  such  an  experience. 
Nearest  to  it  were  the  frightful  dreams  that  had  ter- 
rified him  when  a  boy,  from  which  he  in  vain  sought 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  135 

to  wake.  Lambert  groaned  aloud,  and  Hans  groaned 
under  the  pressure  of  the  rider's  legs. 

So  he  rushed  forward  faster  and  faster,  without 
looking  to  the  right  or  left,  without  stopping  at  Eisen- 
lord's  or  at  Volz',  though  everywhere  from  the  doors 
the  women  called  to  him:  "Holla,  Lambert,  whither 
in  such  haste  .^"  until  at  last  Hans,  angry  at  the  con- 
duct of  his  otherwise  reasonable  master,  ran  at  full 
speed. 

Aunt  Ursul  had  requested  him  to  stop  on  his  re- 
turn, and  he  himself  wished  to  speak  with  her  about 
what  the  minister  had  said.  So  he  stopped  his  foam- 
ing horse  unwillingly  when  he  came  to  the  Ditmar 
house. 

"Is  he  near  comfort.^"  said  Aunt  Ursul  who  had 
heard  him  coming  and  now  stepped  to  the  door. 
"The  poor  beast  is  like  a  cat  which  has  been  lying 
eight  days  in  the  water.  How  you  look  yourself: 
Like  the  rider  in  the  book  of  Revelation." 

"I  feel  as  though  some  misfortune  had  happened 
there,"  stammered  Lambert,  pointing  homeward. 

"Papperlapap !"  said  Aunt  Ursul.  "What  can  have 
happened.^  Conrad — yes,  Lambert;  I  already  see 
that  now  I  can't  get  a  rational  word  out  of  you,  so 
in  God's  name,  drive  on.  I  have  just  put  my  old  man 
to  bed  and  given  him  a  cup  of  tea,  so  I  am  entirely 
free  and  will  come  over  in  about  an  hour." 

She  gave  Hans,  who  was  already  restlessly  champ- 
ing his  bit,  a  blow  on  his  wet  neck.     He  sprang  away 


136  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

with  his  rider.  "Those  whom  we  love  are  always 
but  half  near  comfort,"  said  Aunt  Ursul,  looking  after 
him  and  shaking  her  head;  "nevertheless — neverthe- 
less— Conrad  is  a  madcap,  and  acted  this  morning  as 
though  he  had  lost  his  reason.  I  must  see  that  all 
things  go  right." 

Aunt  Ursul  turned  back  into  the  house,  took  her 
gun  from  the  rack  and,  with  long  strides,  followed 
Lambert,  who  was  already  immersed  in  the  evening 
fog  which  rose  from  the  creek  in  thick  streaks. 


CHAPTER  X 

When  at  noon  to-day  Lambert  tore  himself  away 
from  Catherine,  she  stood  still  as  though  stunned. 
The  conviction  that  she  ought  to  remain  behind  had 
come  to  her  on  the  instant;  the  determination  to  do 
so  had  been  uttered  so  soon;  the  carrying  out  of  the 
resolution  too  had  followed  so  closely  at  its  heels,  that 
now,  as  the  forms  of  the  riders  disappeared  behind  a 
turn  of  the  road  and  she  found  herself  really  alone, 
it  appeared  to  her  as  though  she  were  having  a  disa- 
greeable, fearful  dream  out  of  which  she  must  mo- 
mentarily awake.  She  struck  herself  over  her  fore- 
head and  eyes,  but  all  was  real.  There  stood  the 
empty  crib.  There  lay  the  pail  which  the  mare  had 
pushed  over.  There  was  the  pillion  which  at  the  last 
moment  Lambert  had  unbuckled  from  the  saddle. 
There  were  the  short,  trampled  grass  and  the  tracks 
of  the  hoofs  of  the  horses.  There  was  the  open  door 
in  which  she  had  just  now  seen  Lambert!  Catherine 
took  a  few  steps,  as  though  she  would  follow  the  be- 
loved one,  and  then  stood  still,  pressing  her  hand  on 
her  loud-beating  heart.  Deep  sadness  overwhelmed 
her,  but  she  vigorously  fought  down  the  feeling.  "He 
has  so  often  called  you  a  brave  girl,"  said  she  to  her- 
self, "and  will  you  weep  and   complain   like  a  child 

137 


138  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

which  the  mother  has  left  alone  for  a  few  moments? 
He  will  soon  come  back;  surely  he  will  soon  come 
back." 

She  entered  the  house  to  see  what  time  it  was. 
The  hand  of  the  Swartzwald  clock  pointed  to  twelve. 
The  distance  to  Nicolas  Herkimer's  house  was  six 
miles.  If  she  counted  going  and  returning  it  was 
twelve,  and  on  the  calculation  of  the  men  themselves 
would  take  them  two  hours,  so  that  Lambert  could 
be  back  by  six  o'clock,  or  by  seven  at  the  latest. 
That  was  indeed  a  long  time,  but  there  was  yet  much 
to  do,  and  perhaps  also  to-day  Conrad  would  return 
earlier  from  hunting. 

"On  Conrad's  account  I  should  remain  here,"  said 
Catherine  to  herself  as  she  cleared  away  the  dinner- 
dishes.  "He  must  learn  to  see  in  me  his  sister,  and 
he  will,  when  we  show  our  confidence  in  him  and  have 
no  secrets  before  him.  Ah,  could  I  only  yesterday 
have  greeted  him  as  a  brother!  However,  that  will 
follow.  It  must  follow  yet  to-day,  when  he  returns. 
Then  we  will  live  together  in  peace,  and  the  wild 
man  will  find  that  it  is  not  a  bad  thing  to  have  a  fe- 
male friend  who  takes  care  of  him  until  he  himself 
loves  a  girl,  and  establishes  a  home  and  builds  a 
house  for  himself  here  near  us,  or  at  the  edge  of  the 
woods  he  so  much  loves.  That  will  be  a  joyful,  happy 
life.  We  will  be  good  neighbors.  I  shall  love  his 
wife  and  she  me." 

Catherine  had  sat  down  on  the  hearth  and,  with 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  139 

her  head  supported  by  her  hand,  looked  before  her 
with  half-closed  eyes,  thinking.  The  fire  on  the 
hearth  gently  crackled;  the  wall-clock  said  "tick-tack." 
In  the  meadow  outside  the  birds  sang.  Through  the 
open  door  the  sun  shone  clear  into  the  cool,  shaded 
room;  and  in  the  bright  sunbeams,  which  reached  as 
far  as  her  knees,  dust  atoms  danced,  lighted  up,  and 
twinkhng  hke  golden  stars  seemed  to  be  waving  and 
playing  and  catching  one  another.  Then  they  were 
no  longer  golden  stars,  but  children's  laughing  faces, 
which  emerged  out  of  the  partial  darkness  of  the  back- 
ground, came  up  to  her  knees,  and  again  disappeared 
in  the  dark  corners,  and  from  them  looked  out  with 
bright,  blue,  happy  eyes.  Then  the  vision  vanished. 
The  sun  still  shone  into  the  silent  room.  The  fire 
crackled.  The  wall-clock  said  "tick-tack,"  and  out 
in  the  meadows  sang  the  birds. 

The  young  maiden  arose  and  commenced  her 
labor  anew,  but  there  was  a  different  expression  in 
her  mild,  innocent  countenance;  and  other  thoughts, 
which  came  to  her  like  a  revelation,  filled  her  soul. 
The  bridal  feeling  which  now  happified  her,  had 
acquired  another  phase,  for  which  she  knew  not  how 
to  account.  It  was  a  deeper,  more  earnest  feeling — 
distinguished  from  the  former  like  the  light  of  noon 
now  lying  on  field  and  forest,  from  that  of  the  morn- 
ing. Those  were  the  same  bending  grass-stems  and 
the  same  swaying  tree-tops.  It  was  the  same  clear 
creek  and  they  were  the  same  waving   rushes,  and 


1 40  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

yet  all  was  changed  as  by  a  gentle,  mighty,  magic 
hand,  and  spoke  another  speech — moving  and  dis- 
solving in  mystery.  Now  she  understood  why  the  be- 
loved man,  who  was  truth  and  openness  itself,  so 
anxiously  concealed  from  her  for  weeks  that  she  must 
live  alone  with  him  in  his  house.  "Alone!  Would 
it  not  have  been  the  same  had  he  told  the  truth?  told 
me  that  he  loved  me  ?  that  he  did  not  want  me  as  a 
maid-servant?  Would  it  not  have  come  out  just  the 
same  ?  Did  I  not  also  love  him  from  the  first  moment 
on?  and  have  I  not  followed  him  through  peopled 
cities,  through  the  pathless  wilderness,  on  a  journey 
of  weeks,  through  rain  and  sunshine,  day  and  night, 
in  unknown  regions?  What  is  so  different  now?  Did 
I  not  devote  myself  to  him  as  we  left  the  ship  hand  in 
hand?  'You  shall  be  my  lord!'  And  is  it  not  said 
in  the  church  when  the  minister  lays  the  hands  of 
lovers  together:  *He  shall  be  thy  lord.'  Yes,  he 
shall  be  my  lord,  now  and  always.  He  shall  be  my 
lord." 

So  spoke  Catherine  to  herself  to  banish  the  occa- 
sional shudders  that  passed  through  her  heart  and 
often  took  away  her  breath,  while  she  completed  the 
arrangements  in  her  room  which  had  been  tempora 
rily  made  last  evening,  and  put  away  her  few  belong- 
ings in  a  closet  that  had  been  contrived  in  the  thick 
wall.  Then,  as  there  was  nothing  more  to  do  here, 
she  for  the  first  time  ascended  the  stairs  to  the  upper 
story,  and  walked  around  the  gallery  which  encircled 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  141 

the  house  and  projected  beyond  the  lower  story,  and 
was  surrounded  by  well-joined  planks  and  provided 
with  port-holes.  With  the  exception  of  a  place 
poorly  enough  partitioned  off  in  which  the  brothers 
had  slept  the  previous  night,  the  room,  used  in  winter 
as  a  store-room,  was  empty,  or  served  for  the  storage 
of  that  for  which  there  was  no  room  below.  Cather- 
ine acquired  a  clearer  notion  of  the  plan,  which  she 
and  Lambert  had  formed  in  the  morning,  to  prepare 
a  small,  pleasant  room  for  them  both  here  where 
everything  was  more  airy  and  free.  However,  with- 
out Lambert  she  did  not  succeed  very  well  in  plan- 
ning. 

So  she  again  went  downstairs,  and  to  her  surprise 
saw  by  the  clock  that  since  Lambert  had  left  but  one 
hour  had  elapsed.  She  took  some  work  and  seated 
herself  with  it  on  a  bench  before  the  door  in  the  shade 
of  the  gallery.* 

It  was  in  the  stillness  of  the  day.  There  was  so 
little  wind  that  the  grass-stems  in  the  meadow,  and 
the  rushes  at  the  edge  of  the  creek,  scarcely  bent. 
The  butterflies  passed  from  flower  to  flower  on  lan- 
guid wing.  The  hum  of  the  bees  and  the  chirping  of 
the  crickets  had  a  sleepy  sound.  All  around,  every- 
thing was  still.  However,  out  of  the  forest  there 
frequently  came  the  hoarse  cry  of  the  tree-falcon,  or 
the  call  of  a  bird  which  Catherine  did  not  recognize. 
In  the  blue  sky  there  hung  single  white  clouds  whose 
shadows  moved,  slowly — very  slowly — over  the  sunny 
prairie. 


142  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

At  first  Catherine  was  pleased  with  this  quietude, 
which  seemed  an  image  of  sabbath  stillness,  filling 
her  soul.  But  she  had  scarcely  thus  sat  an  hour  be- 
fore the  monotony  of  the  scene  about  her  filled  her 
heart  with  a  strange  fear.  How  entirely  different  it 
was  this  morning.  Then  heaven  and  earth  and  tree 
and  bush  and  every  flower  and  every  grass-stem 
smiled  and  bowed  their  welcome  to  her.  Every- 
thing had  spoken  to  her  in  persuasive  language.  Now 
that  the  beloved  one  was  at  a  distance  everything 
was  dumb,  except  that  heaven  and  earth  and  tree 
and  bush  and  every  flower  and  every  grass-stem 
breathed  out  one  word  with  ever-increasing  sadness: 
Alone!   alone! 

Catherine  let  her  work  sink  into  her  lap.  An 
image,  that  had  been  for  many  years  as  if  blotted 
from  her  memory,  suddenly  came  before  her  in  pale 
colors,  but  very  distinct — the  image  of  her  dead 
mother,  who,  adorned  with  flowers,  lay  in  her  coffin 
— and  she  a  little  girl,  ten  years  old,  stood  beside  it; 
and  her  father  had  come  up  and  taken  her  hand  and 
said:     "We  two  are  now  alone." 

"Alone!" 

Her  heart  was  filled  with  increasing  fear.  Again 
taking  up  her  work  she  tried  to  sing  a  song  that 
always  occurred  to  her  when  everything  was  so  quiet: 
"Were  I  a  wild  Falcon  I  would  soar  aloft."  But  she 
commenced  so  gently  that  she  did  not  complete  the 
first  measure.  Her  voice  sounded  strange.  She  was 
frightened  at  her  own  voice. 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 43 

Perhaps,  she  thought,  it  would  be  better  if  she 
went  to  the  barn-yard  where  in  the  morning  she  had 
passed  such  happy  moments  with  Lambert. 

She  arose  and  hastily  walked  down  the  path,  at 
last  running,  and  now  with  beating  heart  leaned 
against  the  bars  of  the  inclosure.  The  sheep  which 
stood  near  ran  away  frightened,  and  looked  at  her 
from  a  distance  with  dull  eyes.  In  the  yard  all  was 
still.  The  hens  and  turkeys  had  gone  out  into  the 
fields.  As  she  again  turned,  from  among  the  fruit 
trees,  in  whose  blossom-covered  branches  this  morn- 
ing a  robin  sang  so  sweetly,  there  broke  out  a  brown 
bird  of  prey  and  with  broad,  flapping  wings  hastened 
toward  the  forest.  On  the  ground  among  the  grass 
there  lay  several  colored  feathers. 

More  sad  than  when  she  went  Catherine  returned 
to  the  house,  and  again  sat  down  before  the  door, 
with  the  full  purpose  now  to  wait  quietly,  and  to 
fight  down  her  depression  of  spirits. 

So  she  sat  patiently  long,  endless  hours.  The  light 
in  the  green  tops  of  the  trees  in  yonder  woods  be- 
came more  golden.  The  shadows  that  lay  along  the 
edge  became  deeper  and  broader — one  after  another 
came  out  of  the  wilderness  until  at  last  they  branched 
out  in  troops.  From  time  to  time  flocks  of  pigeons 
flew  like  lightning  over  the  prairie  from  one  side  of 
the  forest  to  the  other.  High  above  them,  in  the 
bright  sky,  sailed  more  slowly  chains  of  wild  geese, 
filling  the  air  with  their  monotone  cry.     Then  again 


144  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

everything  was  still,  and  Catherine  could  hear  the 
rushing  of  the  blood  in  her  temples. 

She  could  endure  it  no  longer.  It  occurred  to  her 
that  she  had  seen  a  couple  of  books  in  the  house  on 
a  shelf  too  high  for  her  to  reach.  She  went  in, 
pushed  up  the  table,  set  a  stool  on  it  and  got  the 
books. 

There  were  two  of  them,  bound  in  hog's  leather, 
very  dusty  and  worm-eaten — a  Bible  and  a  history, 
as  it  appeared.  The  writing  on  the  fly-leaf  was  at  first 
in  Latin,  which  the  minister's  daughter  understood 
well  enough  to  deciper  with  a  little  pains.  It  stated 
that  this  book  belonged  to  Conrad  Emanuel  Stern- 
berg, formerly  a  student  of  theology  at  Heidelberg, 
who,  in  the  year  1709,  after  his  parents — well-to-do 
vintners  in  the  Palatinate— had  lost  everything  in  the 
dreadful  winter,  when  the  wine  in  the  casks  and  the 
birds  in  the  air  froze,  in  company  with  the  young 
cooper,  Christian  Ditmar,  from  Heidelberg,  had  de- 
termined upon  the  great  undertaking  of  emigrating  to 
America,  which  he  reached  June  13th,  1710,  more 
dead  than  alive,  after  a  long  and  tedious  voyage 
from  the  Rhine  through  Holland  and  by  way  of  En- 
gland. He  settled  on  the  Hudson  with  his  friends  and 
fellow-sufferers,  where  he  hoped  to  end  his  life  in 
quietness  and  peace. 

This  pious  wish  was  not  fulfilled.  Further  notices 
followed  this  connected  narrative,  but  written  in  the 
German  language,  as  though  the  writer  had  mean- 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  I45 

while  forgotten  his  Latin,  saying  that  he  had  moved 
with  his  faithful  companion,  Christian  Ditmar,  from 
the  Hudson  to  the  Mohawk,  thence  to  Schoharie  and 
finally  to  Canada  Creek.  Then  there  was  the  date 
of  his  marriage  with  Elisabeth  Christiane  Frank,  of 
Schoharie,  the  younger  sister  of  Ursula,  his  old  friend's 
and  now  brother-in-law's  wife,  the  birthdays  of  his 
sons,  Lambert  and  Conrad,  and  the  death  of  Chris- 
tiane. With  this  sad  event  the  record  of  the  life  of 
the  old  Heidelberg  student  was  closed.  He  had  not 
written  a  line  more. 

Catherine  looked  thoughtfully  at  the  faded  writing, 
gently  closed  the  lid  and  opened  the  second,  smaller 
book.  It  was  entitled:  "Description  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  city  of  Heidelberg  on  the  22nd  and  23rd 
of  May,   1689." 

She  began  to  read  mechanically  until  by  degrees 
she  became  conscious  of  what  she  was  reading  and 
sprang  up  with  a  dull  outcry:  "Great  God!  what 
have  I  read  ^  Is  it  possible  that  human  beings  can  so 
rage  against  one  another  -  that  there  are  tyrants  to 
whom  neither  the  silvered  hair  of  the  aged,  nor  the 
modesty  of  the  maiden,  nor  the  innocent  laughter  of 
children — to  whom  nothing  is  sacred.? 

"Why  not.?  Did  not  the  bands  under  Soubise 
ravage  through  the  cities  and  towns  of  Hanover.?  And 
did  not  their  ruthless  cruelty  and  base  shamelessness 
drive  her  old  father  and  all  her  neighbors  and  friends 
from  their  beloved  homes  across  the  sea  ?     Were  they 


146  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

not  the  sons  and  grandsons  of  those  robbers  who,  un- 
der Melac  and  Borges,  burnt  the  Palatinate  and  re- 
duced Heidelberg  to  a  dust  heap  ? 

"And  again,  did  they  not,  the  year  before,  ravage 
here  just  so,  in  connection  with  the  Indians,  their  like- 
minded  confederates?  Here,  among  these  hills  and 
in  these  valleys  and  woods,  the  same  French  were 
threatening  again  and  their  approach  was  already 
proclaimed.      Dreadful!  dreadful!" 

The  poor  girl,  though  so  sore  and  sad  at  heart,  had 
up  to  this  moment  found  no  definite  cause  of  fear. 
Now  fear  overwhelmed  her  with  sudden  power.  She 
looked  with  fixed  eyes  toward  the  edge  of  the  forest 
as  though  at  every  moment  the  French  and  Indians 
were  about  to  break  forth  from  its  silent  recesses. 
She  listened  intently,  until  the  blood  seemed  to  boil 
in  her  temples,  and  as  though  it  would  burst  the 
veins.  Merciful  God!  What  would  become  of  her.^ 
How  could  Lambert  leave  her  in  such  a  howling  wil- 
derness?— he  who  had  so  long  been  her  guardian  and 
defense — he  who  had  cherished  her  as  the  apple  of 
his  eye.  If  only  Conrad  would  come.  It  was  about 
the  same  time  yesterday  when  he  came — no,  it  was 
later;  the  sun  had  already  set,  and  now  it  was  still 
over  the  woods.  But  why  should  he  to-day  stay  out 
so  long?  And  who,  besides  Lambert,  could  better  pro- 
tect her  than  Lambert's  brother,  the  strong,  alert  man 
who  only  needed  to  set  his  foot  across  the  door-step 
to  make  those  dwelhng  in  the  house  feel  secure?     So 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  147 

Lambert  said  only  this  morning.  Why  did  he  now 
stay  away  when  his  presence  was  so  much  desired? 

Catherine  pressed  her  hands  against  her  beating 
temples.  What  should  she  do  ?  What  could  she  do 
but  wait  and  try  to  hush  a  fear  that  surely  was  child- 
ish. There  near  her  lay  the  Bible.  She  had  so  often, 
in  sad  hours,  drawn  from  it  rest  and  comfort.  She 
took  it  up  and  read  where  her  eyes  happened  to  fall: 

"And  the  Lord  had  respect  unto  Abel  and  to  his 
offering.  But  unto  Cain  and  his  offering  he  had  not 
respect.  And  Cain  was  very  wroth  and  his  counte- 
nance fell.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Cain:  Why  art 
thou  wroth .^  and  why  is  thy  countenance  fallen.^  * 
^  ^  And  Cain  talked  with  his  brother  Abel,  and  it 
came  to  pass  when  they  were  in  the  field,  Cain  rose 
up  against  Abel  his  brother  and  slew  him." 

The  printed  page  glimmered  before  her  eyes.  With 
a  dull  cry  the  affrighted  girl  sprang  up.  "Cain  killed 
Abel!  Cain  killed  Abel!"  And  she  had  wished  that 
he — the  terrible  one — were  here — he  who  this  morn- 
ing had  uttered  such  dreadful  threatenings.  No,  no! 
he  must  not  come  back;  he  must  not  find  her  alone. 
He  must  not  see  her  again.  She  must  away  to  meet 
Lambert.  She  must  warn  him — must  tell  him  that 
his  brother  would  kill  him  on  her  account ;  that  he 
must  give  her  up,  or  with  her  go  out  into  the  wide 
world.  They  must  flee  from  the  brother.  He  must 
save  her  and  himself  from  that  dreaded  brother. 

As  though  the  block-house   was  on  fire  Catherine 


148  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

hastened  from  the  door,  down  the  hill,  to  the  creek, 
along  the  creek,  without  looking  around,  without 
observing  that  she  had  started  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion so  that  at  every  step  she  was  farther  away  from 
Lambert.  When  she  reached  the  bridge  where  Lam- 
bert had  yesterday  overtaken  her  she  became  aware 
of  her  mistake.  But  she  was  like  a  wrecked  vessel 
driven  shoreward  by  the  waves  and  then  again  carried 
out  to  sea.  Destruction  by  him  from  whom  she 
would  escape  seemed  unavoidable.  No  more  capa- 
ble of  forming  a  further  purpose,  deprived  of  all 
strength,  she  sunk  together;  and  as  though  she  must 
here  await  the  expected  death-blow,  she  bowed  her 
head  and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 

"Catherine!" 

Slowly  she  withdrew  her  hands  from  her  deadly 
pale  face,  and  saw  Conrad  standing  before  her  with 
his  rifle  on  his  shoulder  and  his  dog  at  his  heels,  look- 
ing at  her  with  vacant  eyes,  and  appearing  to  have 
just  come  out  of  the  sedge  along  the  shore.  She  had 
anticipated  his  coming — knew  that  he  would  come. 
She  no  longer  felt  that  nameless  dread.  On  the 
other  hand  there  instantly  came  over  her  a  peculiar 
restfulness,  and  in  a  quiet  tone  she  said:  "You 
come  late.      I  have  been  waiting  for  you." 

"Indeed.?"  said  Conrad. 

He  was  also  very  pale,  and  the  expression  of  his 
face  was  strangely  changed. 

Catherine  observed  it,  but  it  could  not  change   her 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 49 

purpose  to  proceed,  even  should  it  cost  her  Hfe.  She 
arose  from  her  rechning  position,  though  not  without 
an  effort — her  limbs  seemed  as  if  dead — and,  as  she 
began  mechanically  to  return  to  the  house,  she  said: 

"I  have  been  waiting  for  you,  since  I  wish  to  say 
something  to  you  before  I  leave  your  house." 

Conrad  started.  Catherine  felt  it,  though  she  kept 
her  eyes  directed  to  the  ground.  However,  involun- 
tarily walking  faster,  she  proceeded: 

"What  I  could  not  tell  you  this  morning,  for  it  has 
taken  place  since,  I  will  say  now.  I  have  become 
engaged  to  your  brother." 

She  expected  that  now  an  outbreak  would  follow, 
but  Conrad  walked  on  silently  at  her  side. 

"I  engaged  myself  to  him,"  said  Catherine — and 
her  voice  became  firmer  while  she  spoke — **this  morn- 
ing after  you  were  gone,  and  I  hardly  know  how  it 
came  about.  I  only  know  that  Lambert  has  done 
for  me  more  than  any  other  man,  excepting  my  good 
old  father  who  is  dead;  that  to  him  I  owe  my  life, 
which  therefore  belongs  to  him;  that  at  any  time  he 
might  ask  for  it  he  might  have  it  of  me.  He  did  not 
ask  it  of  me  this  morning,  but  I  gave  it  to  him  freely 
— my  life  and  my  love — for  that  is  the  same.  And 
now — " 

"And  now.?"  asked  Conrad. 

"Now  I  must  away,  if  you  are  not  the  kind  brother 
whom  Lambert  loves  so  much — if  you  are  resolved  to 
turn  the  angry  words  you  spoke  this  morning  into  fierce 


ISO  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

deeds.  How  could  I  remain  here  and  see  how  I  have 
sown  strife  between  brother  and  brother,  especially  at 
this  time,  when  you  should  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder 
against  the  treacherous  enemy?  Where  I  shall  go 
I  do  not  know.  I  only  know  that  I  cannot  stay,  so 
long  as  you  are  angry  at  your  brother  on  my  account. 
But,  Conrad,  while  I  thus  speak,  it  seems  to  me  en- 
tirely impossible  that  you  can  place  yourself  between 
me  and  your  brother." 

"Why  impossible.^"  asked  Conrad. 

"Because  you  love  your  brother,"  replied  Cather- 
ine, gathering  courage  as  she  spoke.  "You  have 
every  reason  to  love  him,  though  you  do  not  love  me 
as  Lambert  loves  me.  Why  should  you.^  You  do 
not  know  me.  You  saw  me  yesterday  for  the  first 
time,  and  a  few  minutes  this  morning.  Though  I 
may  indeed  have  pleased  you,  yet,  as  you  now  hear 
that  my  heart  is  already  given  to  your  brother,  what 
else,  as  an  honorable  man,  can  you  do  than  to  rejoice 
at  our  happiness  as  we  would  rejoice  in  yours  should 
heaven  provide  you  a  similar  happiness,  which  I 
hope  may  soon  happen.?" 

They  had  reached  the  house.  The  dog,  which 
with  long  leaps  had  gone  ahead,  met  them  wagging 
her  tail  and  springing  against  her  master  Conrad 
pushed  the  animal  away,  but  not  with  his  usual  rough 
force.  His  manner  was  more  sad  than  angry  and  his 
motio^ixs  were  like  those  of  one  who  is  very  tired.  He 
sank  down  on  the  bench  on  which  Catherine's  work 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  I5I 

and  the  books  still  lay,  supported  his  elbow  on  his 
knee  and  rested  his  head  on  his  hand. 

"You  are  hungry  and  thirsty  from  your  long  hunt," 
said  Catherine;   "shall  I  prepare  your  evening  meal?" 

Conrad  shook  his  head.  All  fear  had  vanished 
from  Catherine's  soul.  As  she  saw  the  wild,  intract- 
able man  sitting  there  so  still — so  sunk  within  him- 
self— there  stirred  in  her  heart  stronger  and  stronger 
another  feeling. 

"Conrad,"  said  she  softly.  "Conrad,"  she  re- 
peated, laying  her  hand  on  his  shoulder,  "I  will  in- 
deed also  hold  you  very  dear." 

A  dull  cry,  like  that  of  an  animal  that  has  been 
mortally  wounded,  broke  from  Conrad's  broad  chest. 
He  put  both  hands  to  his  face  and  wept  aloud  like  a 
child,  and  the  body  of  the  giant-like  man  shook  from 
the  pain  stirring  within  him  as  might  the  small  frame 
of  a  child. 

Catherine  for  a  moment  stood  helpless  and  speech- 
less. Then  there  also  came  from  her  eyes  warm 
tears,  and  with  the  tears  she  found  words  -mild, 
kind  words — of  sympathy  and  comfort.  She  told 
him  again  and  again  that  she  would  love  him  as  a  sis- 
ter should  love  a  brother;  that  his  young,  sorrowful 
heart  would  find  peace;  that  he  should  see  in  her  his 
sister;  and  that  he  would  find  pure  happiness  in  this 
feeling  until  there  blossomed  out  another  happiness 
in  the  love  of  a  virtuous  girl,  in  which  no  one  would 
more  deeply  share  than  she  and  Lambert. 


152  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"Do  not  speak  his  name,"  said  Conrad. 

He  had  jumped  up,  all  his  limbs  shaking  with  anger 
and  his  eyes  flashing.  He  convulsively  grasped  his 
gun,  which  stood  near,  by  the  barrel. 

"You  think  you  are  going  to  play  me  off  with 
words.  For  me  smooth  words;  for  him  kisses!  I 
saw  to-day  in  the  woods,  how  handsomely  you  can 
kiss." 

He  broke  out  in  loud  laughter.  Catherine,  fright- 
ened, drew  back. 

"So!"  said  Conrad,  "that  is  your  true  face.  Do 
you  still  love  me  as  a  sister  her  brother?" 

"If  you  are  so  unbrotherly,  no!"  said  Catherine. 
"But  you  do  not  know  what  3^ou  are  saying." 

"Truly  not,"  growled  Conrad. 

"And  not  what  you  are  doing,"  said  Catherine. 
"You  would  otherwise  be  ashamed  to  torment  a 
poor,  helpless  girl." 

She  leaned  against  the  door-post,  pale  and  trem- 
bling, her  hands  folded  over  her  breast,  her  large  eyes 
fixed  on  the  angry  man,  who  tried  in  vain  to  meet  her 
gaze,  and  raved  before  her  like  a  wild  animal. 

Then  the  dog  dashed  forward,  and  at  the  same 
moment  the  dull  hoof-beats  of  a  horse  in  full  run  be- 
came perceptible.  Fear  seized  Catherine  as  to  what 
the  issue  would  be  should  Lambert  now  return — and 
it  could  be  no  other. 

"Conrad!"  she  called;  "Conrad,  it  is  your  brother." 

Impelled  by    an  overwhelming   feeling  she  threw 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 53 

herself  before  him  and  wound  her  arms  about  his 
knees. 

"Let  me  be!"  cried  Conrad. 

"Not  till  you  have  sworn  that  you  will  not  injure 
him." 

"Let  me  be!"  cried  Conrad  again,  and  he  violently 
tore  her  loose.  Catherine  tottered  forward,  stumbled 
and  fell.      Her  head  struck  hard  against  the  door-sill. 

She  came  near  fainting,  but  with  a  great  effort 
picked  herself  up  again,  as  angry  voices  struck  her 
ear,  and  threw  herself  between  the  brothers. 

"Lambert!  Conrad!  For  God's  sake,  rather  kill 
me!  Conrad,  it  is  your  brother.  Lambert,  he  does 
not  know  what  he  is  doing!" 

The  brothers  released  each  other,  and  panting, 
looked  at  one  another  with  flashing  eyes.  By  the 
sound  Lambert's  rifle  had  fallen  to  the  ground.  Con- 
rad held  his  half-raised  in  his  strong  hands. 

"Now,"  said  Lambert;   "why  do  you  not  shoot .!*" 

"I  do  not  want  to  kill  you,"  said  Conrad.  "If  I 
wanted  your  life  I  could  have  taken  it  this  morning." 

"What. then  do  you  want.''" 

"Nothing  from  you.  Why  did  you  come  just  now.^ 
You  shall  not  see  me  again.  Since  we  have  hap- 
pened again  to  meet,  let  me  tell  you  that  it  must  be 
the  last  time.      Go  your  own  way  and  let  me  go  mine." 

With  a  powerful  swing  he  threw  his  rifle  on  his 
shoulder  and  turned  away. 

Lambert  intercepted  him.     "You  must  not  go.     I 


154  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

will  forget  that  you  raised  your  hand  against  me.  Do 
you  also  forget  that  I  raised  mine  against  you.  By 
the  memory  of  our  father;  by  the  memory  of  our 
mother,  I  conjure  you,  do  not  leave  your  parents' 
house." 

"It  is  too  small  for  us  all,"  said  Conrad,  with  bit- 
ter scorn. 

"Then  we  will  leave  it.  I  will  gladly  do  it  if  you 
will  but  stay." 

"I  need  no  house,"  said  Conrad. 

"The  house,  however,  needs  you,  as  you  can  help 
defend  it  against  our  bitter  enemies.  Do  you  wish  to 
see  it  go  up  in  flames.^  You  know  that  the  French 
are  coming — perhaps  you  know  more  about  it  than  I 
— than  all  of  us;  and  we  to-day  greatly  missed  you. 
Will  you  become  a  traitor  to  our  common  interests 
— to  your  brother,  your  friends,  to  wives  and  chil- 
dren.?    Conrad,  you  must  not  go  away!" 

"If  the  enemy  comes  you  will  again  creep  away  as 
you  did  before,"  said  Conrad.  "I  will  not  hide  in 
forts.  I  will  fight  openly.  I  will  take  the  matter  in 
hand  entirely  alone,  and  you  may  here,  in  your  holes, 
go  to  destruction  or  not;  it  will  not  trouble  me.  My 
blood  be  upon  me  if  I  again  set  either  foot  across  this 
door-sill!" 

He  pushed  his  fur  cap  down  over  his  eyes,  whistled 
to  his  dog,  and  as  he,  making  his  rounds  about  the 
house,  did  not  come,  he  called  out: 

"So  you,  too,  stay  here.     Curse  on  you  all!" 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  155 

That  was  the  last  word  that  Catherine  heard.  The 
dreadful,  soul-stirring  excitement  of  these  hours  had 
exhausted  her  strength,  and  her  fall  had  broken  her 
down  entirely.  She  felt  a  stinging  pain  in  her  tem- 
ples. -  There  was  a  ringing  in  her  ears.  She  saw 
Lambert's  form,  as  through  a  veil,  bending  over  her; 
and  then  it  was  not  Lambert,  but  Aunt  Ursul,  and 
then  everything  sunk  away  about  her  in  deep  night. 


CHAPTER    XI 

Aunt  Ursul  sat  at  Catherine's  bed  in  the  room 
carefully  noticing  every  motion  of  the  young  girl  who 
lay  there,  pale,  with  closed  eyes,  half  asleep  as  it 
appeared.  She  repeatedly  felt  her  pulse,  and  re- 
newed the  cold  cloths  on  her  forehead.  She  then 
again  bent  over  her,  listened  to  her  quiet  breathing, 
then  bowed  satisfied  and  murmured:  "There's  noth- 
ing more  to  be  done  here  now.  We  will  now  look 
after  the  young  man." 

She  arose  and  retired,  as  quietly  as  her  heavy 
boots  would  permit,  from  the  chamber,  her  face 
expressing  displeasure  as  the  door  creaked  a  little, 
though  she  shut  it  very  softly.  Lambert,  who  had 
been  sitting  at  the  hearth,  raised  his  head  and  looked 
at  her  who  was  entering  with  anxious  eye.  Aunt 
Ursul  sat  down  by  his  side,  placed  her  feet  firmly  on 
the  hearth,  and  said,  in  a  tone  intended  to  be  a 
whisper,  but  on  account  of  her  deep,  rough  voice  was 
a  dull  growl: 

"No,  Lambert,  on  that  side" — she  at  the  same  time 

inclined  her  large  head  toward  the  chamber — "so  far 

it  goes  quite   well.     The   girl   is   a    brave    child,  and 

will  to-morrow  again  stand  firm   in  her  shoes.     If  we 

156 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 57 

women  should  at  once  discover  your  stupidities  we 
would  have  much  to  do." 

Lambert  seized  the  hand  of  the  kind  woman.  Tears 
stood  in  his  eyes.  Aunt  Ursul  did  not  know  how  it 
happened,  but  her  eyelashes  also  became  moist.  She 
breathed  deeply  two  or  three  times,  and  said:  "You 
ought  to  be  ashamed,  Lambert.  You  really  have  a 
heart  like  a  young  chicken,  and  now  it  occurs  to  me 
that  I  have  eaten  nothing  the  whole  day.  Give  me  a 
piece  of  bread  and  some  ham,  or  whatever  you  have, 
and  if  there  is  yet  a  swallow  of  rum  in  the  flask  it 
won't  do  any  hurt — but  add  to  it  two-thirds  water. 
A  well-behaved  person  will  not  otherwise  drink  the 
fiery  stuff.  And  now  we  will  once  have  a  little  ra- 
tional talk,  Lambert.  We  need  not  be  in  a  hurry. 
The  girl  sleeps  so  soundly  that  she  will  not  wake 
under  six  hours." 

Lambert  had  taken  what  was  wanted  out  of  the 
cupboard.  Aunt  Ursul  moved  her  chair  to  the  table, 
and  while  she  was  eating  heartily,  said: 

"Do  you  know,  Lambert,  that  the  girl  is  a  treasure .?" 

Lambert  bowed. 

"And  that  neither  you,  nor  Conrad,  nor  any  man 
in  this  earthly  vale  of  tears,  is  good  enough  for  the 
maiden.?" 

Lambert's  eyes  said:     "Yes." 

"I  have  now  for  the  first  time  carefully  looked  at 
her,"  said  Aunt  Ursul;  "as  she  lay  there,  white  and 
bloody,  like  the  doves  this  morning.     There   is  not 


15B  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

one  false  or  distorted  line  in  her  lovely  face.  Every- 
thing is  entire  purity  and  innocence,  as  though  the 
Lord  God  had  opened  a  window  in  heaven  and  sent 
her  forth  upon  the  earth.  And  now  to  think  that  such 
a  lovely  angel  is  destined  to  all  the  suffering  and  an- 
guish which  is  our  inheritance  from  our  mother  Eve 
— Good  God,  it  is  dreadful !  Smce,  rightly  consid- 
ered, Lambert,  you  cannot  help  it,  as  you  did  not 
make  the  world,  and  are  all  in  all  a  good  man,  Lam- 
bert— yes,  a  right  good  man-  what  Aunt  Ursul  can 
do  to  smooth  the  way  to  your  happiness  that  she  will 
do  with  all  her  heart.  Yes,  surely,  Lambert,  that  she 
will." 

"I  thank  you,  aunt,"  replied  Lambert.  "I  can 
truly  say  that  I  have  always  been  persuaded  of  your 
good  will,  and  have  constantly  reckoned  on  you,  but 
I  am  afraid  that  now  nobody  can  any  longer  help  us. 
How  shall  I  stand  with  her  before  God's  altar  when  I 
know  that  my  brother  begrudges  me  my  happiness.^ 
Even  could  I  do  so,  Catherine  could  not  bear  the 
thought  that  it  is  she  on  whose  account  Conrad  is 
irreconcilably  angry.  She  knows  how  I  have  loved 
the  young  man — how  I  still  love  him.  I  could  shed 
my  blood  for  him,  and  how  did  he  renounce  us  even 
now — even  now.?" 

Lambert  supported  his  forehead  with  his  hand. 
On  Aunt  Ursul' s  rough  face  there  also  lay  a  deep, 
helpless  sadness.  She  wished  to  say  something  com- 
forting to  Lambert,  but  found  nothing  to  say.  Lam- 
bert proceeded: 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 59 

"I  am  not  angry  at  him.  How  could  I  be?  You 
know,  aunt,  that  we  were  long  uncertain  whether  he 
or  I  should  go  to  New  York,  since  he  had  less  to  keep 
him,  and  we  thought  it  would  do  him  good  to  get  out 
among  other  people.  Then  he  would  have  found 
Catherine,  and  he  would  surely  have  dealt  just  as  I 
did ;  and  who  knows  how  everything  would  then  have 
fitted  itself  in.?" 

Aunt  Ursul  shook  her  large  head. 

"Do  not  sin  against  yourself,  Lambert,"  said  she. 
"I  have  always  found  that,  rightly  weighed,  every- 
thing had  to  come  out  just  as  it  did  come  out,  and 
with  this  we  pause." 

"I,  also,  cannot  conceive  how  it  could  have  been 
different,"  replied  Lambert.  "As  far  as  I  can  see, 
my  hand  has  been  little  in  this,  and  yet  I  might  even 
surrender  her  could  I  thus  bring  Conrad  back." 

"And  I  my  two  hands  and  my  head  in  addition," 
said  Aunt  Ursul,  "could  I  by  that  means  bring  it 
about  that  my  four  boys  might  enter  the  door  alive. 
Lambert,  Lambert!  let  me  tell  you,  'if  and  'but'  are 
very  fine  things,  but  one  must  keep  them  away  from 
him  or  he  will  get  crazy  over  them.  I  have  had  ex- 
perience of  it  in  myself  and  in  my  old  man." 

"But  Conrad  is  not  dead,"  said  Lambert,  "so  all 
hope  cannot  be  lost.  I  had  also  lost  my  head.  I 
did  not  know  what  I  said  or  did.  He  was  without 
this  already  unhappy  enough.  Alas,  aunt,  I  am  also 
to  blame.     I  would  gladly   tell   him  that.     I   would 


l60  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

like  to  talk  right  into  his  heart.  He  has  hitherto 
always  been  willing  to  listen  to  me.  What  do  you 
advise,  aunt  .'*" 

"What  should  I  advise.?"  said  Aunt  Ursul  fretfully. 
"It  is  always  the  old  story:  First  you  set  the  world  on 
its  head,  and  then  you  come  running  and  cry: 
'What  do  you  advise,  aunt.?'  Am  I  God.?  Many 
times  there  seems  to  be  need  of  it.  No,  Lambert,  in 
that  you  are  indeed  right.  Conrad  is  not  yet  dead, 
and  so  we  need  not  throw  away  our  guns  into  the 
grain-field.  But  it  will  not  do  to  pour  out  the  child 
with  the  water  in  which  you  have  bathed  it.  To  pour 
oil  into  the  fire  increases  the  blaze.  Should  you  now 
go  to  Conrad  it  would  not  be  well.  You  can't  gather 
ripe  figs  from  a  thorn-bush.  In  due  time  one  can 
pick  roses,  Lambert,  in  due  time." 

Aunt  Ursul  repeated  her  last  words  several  times 
as  though  she  would  thus  help  her  inability  to  advise. 

"But  time  is  pressing,"  said  Lambert.  "Who 
knows  how  soon  we  shall  have  the  French  here .? — 
Perhaps  to-morrow.  My  God!  to-morrow  should  be 
our  wedding  day." 

He  told  his  aunt  what  arrangement  he  had  made 
with  the  minister. 

"Yes,  yes;  man  proposes,  but  God  disposes,"  said 
Aunt  Ursul.  "We  can  now  say  nothing  about  to- 
morrow. This  thing  will  probably  not  get  so  far  as 
that  by  to-morrow.  What  concerns  the  other  I  will 
make  my  care,  Lambert.     Whether  the  maiden  comes 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  l6l 

to  me,  or  I  to  her,  will  be  about  the  same  in  the  min- 
ister's eyes,  to  say  nothing  about  God,  who  has  some- 
thing better  to  attend  to  than  to  trouble  himself  about 
such  hocus-pocus.  I  am  here  beforehand.  I  would 
gladly  have  looked  after  my  old  man,  who  was  to- 
day quite  desperate  and  heathenish,  but  if  it  must  be 
I  too  will  stay.  There  must  be  some  one  to  lead  the 
regiment  when  it  comes.  Still  there,  Pluto!  What 
does  the  beast  mean.^  I  believe  the  young  men  are 
coming  already.  You  look  after  them,  Lambert.  I 
will  meanwhile  look  after  the  girl;  and  Lambert,  if 
they  are  there,  keep  them  before  the  house.  The 
night  is  warm  and  you  can  keep  watch  there.  Who- 
ever wishes  to  sleep  can  come  in  here  and  lie  down 
on  the  hearth,  but  I  want  him  to  be  as  still  as  a 
mouse." 

Aunt  Ursul  went  into  the  room.  Lambert  stepped 
to  the  front  door  and  quieted  the  growling  Pluto.  He 
listened,  and  now  clearly  heard  the  steps  of  his  com- 
rades. Soon  their  forms  emerged  out  of  the  light  fog 
which  had  spread  over  the  fields  near  the  creek, 
though  the  moon  already  stood  at  some  height  over 
the  woods.  There  were  three  of  them.  Lambert's 
heart  beat.  He  expected  only  Fritz  Volz  and  Rich- 
ard Herkimer.  Was  Conrad  the  third.?  Surely, 
surely  it  must  be  Conrad. 

But  out  of  Pluto's  broad  chest  sounds  like  rolling 
thunder  now  broke  forth.  Did  not  the  intelligent 
and  faithful  beast  know  her  own   master.?     Lambert 


l62  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

with  great  eagerness  went  to  meet  those  who  were 
coming. 

"God  bless  you,  Lambert,"  said  Richard  Herki- 
mer. 

"God  bless  you,  Lambert,"  said  Fritz  Volz. 

The  third  one  had  remained  a  few  steps  behind. 

"Who  is  the  other  one?"  asked  Lambert  with 
trembling  voice. 

"Guess,"  said  Richard  laughing. 

"The  crazy  fellow,"  said  Fritz  Volz. 

"He  would  go  with  us,  though  Annie  herself  thought 
that  he  would  not  fire  away  his  powder  for  nothing," 
said  Richard. 

"Is  it  Adam  Bellinger.?"  asked  Lambert. 

"Now  come  up,  you  hare's  foot,"  said  Fritz  Volz. 

"Are  you  holding  the  dog.?"  asked  Adam,  with  un- 
certain voice. 

Richard  and  Fritz  laughed,  but  Lambert  could  not 
join  them,  as  he  might  have  done  at  another  time. 
Adam  instead  of  Conrad !  What  could  have  moved 
the  silly  fellow  to  such  night-wandering  except  the 
desire  again  to  be  near  Catherine.?  What  would  his 
friends  think  of  Catherine.?  What  would  not  the  talk- 
ative Adam  have  told  them  on  the  way. 

"Come  a  little  nearer,"  said  Richard,  having  taken 
Lambert's  arm  as  they  were  walking  toward  the 
house.  "I  want  to  say  a  few  words  to  you.  You  must 
not  be  angry,  Lambert,  that  we  brought  Adam  along. 
He  would  not  be  set  right.     Heaven  knows  what  has 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 63 

come  into  his  calf's  head.  We  could  have  made 
nothing  out  of  his  crazy  talk,  but  the  ladies  lit  the 
candle  so  that  it  shone  bright  enough.  That  you — 
Nay,  Lambert,  old  boy,  I  wish  you  happiness  with 
all  my  heart.  And  I  can  also  tell  you  that  by  this  a 
heavy  stone  is  lifted  from  my  heart.  You  know  I 
have  always  liked  Annie,  and  she  has  not  been  un- 
kind to  me;  but  old  Bellinger  had  got  his  head  set 
that  you  must  become  his  third  son-in-law — and  no- 
body else.  Now  if  you  marry  the  stranger  girl  it  will 
help  us  all.  Therefore  once  more,  happiness  and 
blessing,  Lambert  Sternberg,  with  my  whole  heart." 

"That  I  also  wish  you,"  said  Lambert. 

"I  know  it,"  said  Richard;  '^but  now  we  must  also 
say  good  evening  to  your  girl,  Lambert.  If  she  is  half 
as  handsome  as  Adam  swears,  she  must  be  something 
truly  wonderful.      Is  she  in  the  house.?" 

They  stood  before  the  door.  The  two  others  were 
still  some  distance  behind.  Lambert  drew  his  young 
friend  beside  him  on  the  bench  and  briefly  told  him 
everything  which  sooner  or  later  he  would  have  un- 
folded more  fully,  but  which  now  could  no  longer  be 
kept  secret. 

"This  is  my  situation,  Richard,"  concluded  he. 
"You  can  conceive  how  heavy  my  heart  is." 

"I  can  well  conceive  it,"  said  Richard  Herkimer, 
heartily  pressing  Lambert's  hand.  "Dear  friend,  this 
is  an  unhappy  record.  Conrad  should  be  ashamed, 
especially  at  this   tin^e,  to  forsake  you  and  leave  th^ 


164  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

cart  sticking  in  the  mud,  when  even  such  fellows  as 
John  Mertens  and  Hans  Haberkorn  are  pulling  with 
us  at  the  same  rope." 

"You  see,  Richard,  it  is  that  which  grieves  me  most," 
said  Lambert.  "You  know  how  they  talked  about  us 
last  year — that  we  held  with  the  French;  that  Con- 
rad spoke  India'n  better  than  German,  and  other  scan- 
dalous stuff.  What  will  they  now  say  when  they 
hear  that,  at  the  very  moment  when  the  danger  breaks 
in  upon  us,  Conrad  is  not  to  be  found  among  us?" 

"Let  them  say  what  they  will, "said  Richard.  "My 
father,  the  minister,  and  all  who  are  reasonably  intel- 
ligent, you  have  always  had  on  your  side;  and  they 
will  also  this  time  know  what  to  think.  Perhaps 
Conrad  also  will  yet  consider." 

"God  grant  it!"  said  Lambert,  with  a  deep  sigh. 

"Now,"  said  Richard,  rising,  "I  will  give  a  wink  to 
Fritz  Volz;  and  then  you  must  tell  us  what  we  are  to 
do  for  the  night." 

Richard  Herkimer  went  to  the  two  others,  who 
had  remained  standing  at  some  distance,  engaged,  as 
it  appeared,  in  a  discussion.  At  the  same  moment 
Aunt  Ursul  came  out  of  the  door. 

"Is  that  you,  Lambert?" 

"Yes.  aunt." 

"Who  are  the  others?" 

Lambert  named  the  friends. 

"What,  then,  does  Adam  want?"  said  Aunt  Ursul. 

"The  fellow  has  become  quite  foolish.     Nay,  Lam- 


THE  GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 6$ 

bert,  that  is  your  business;  but  to-morrow  send  off 
the  awkward  fellow.  We  don't  want  useless  eaters 
here.  This  evening  he  may  come  in  with  the  rest. 
Catherine  is  up  again.  She  says  it  is  not  a  time  now 
to  be  sick.  In  that  surely  she  is  right.  She  is  stand- 
ing at  the  fire,  boiling  an  evening  soup  for  your  peo- 
ple, as  though  nothing  had  happened — the  noble  girl ! 
I  am  now  going  home;  and,  Lambert,  the  minister 
meant  well  in  what  he  said  to  you,  but  under  the  cir- 
cumstances it  is  senseless.  You  are  an  honorable 
man,  and  the  girl  is  not  trifling,  and  God  knows  what 
your  duty  is  in  the  case." 

Lambert  went  with  Aunt  Ursul  into  the  house. 
Catherine  came  to  meet  him,  looking  pale  and  having 
a  cloth  wound  about  her  head,  but  greeting  him  with 
a  friendly  smile.  "You  must  not  scold  me,"  she  said. 
"To  please  your  aunt  I  acted  as  though  I  was  asleep. 
I  have  heard  everything.  I  could  not  remain  quietly 
in  bed  while  you  have  so  many  guests.  I  again  feel 
quite  well." 

She  leaned  her  head  against  his  breast  and  whis- 
pered: "And  you  love  me  notwithstanding,  Lam- 
bert;  not  so.?" 

Lambert  held  the  dear  girl  fast  in  his  arms  as  a 
Iq^d  ahem !  was  heard,  and  Aunt  Ursul  entered  the 
door  closely  followed  by  the  three  young  men. 

"So,  you  young  people,"  said  Aunt  Ursul,  "come 
in  and  eat  your  supper — that  is,  if  it  is  ready;  and 
this  is  my  Lambert's  dear  bride,  and  she  is  not  stand- 


1 66  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

ing  there  like  Lot's  pillar  of  salt.  Adam  Bellinger, 
you  may  as  well  shut  your  mouth.  No  roasted 
pigeons  will  fly  into  it.  There  is  for  this  evening  a 
soup,  so  that  you  must  move  your  own  hands  to  get 
it  conveniently  out  of  the  bowl.  So,  Richard  Her- 
kimer, that  is  right  that  you  at  once  offer  your  hand 
to  the  young  lady.  You  are  always  polite,  having 
learned  it  from  your  father.  And  now  I'll  be  off. 
God  protect  you,  Catherine,  and  you,  Lambert,  and 
you  all.  I  shall  come  again  to-morrow  and  perhaps 
with  my  old  man.  Now  nobody  needs  to  be  farther 
concerned  about  me.  Do  you  hear.?  Aunt  Ursul 
can  find  her  home  alone." 

While  she  thus  spoke  she  took  her  rifle,  kissed 
Catherine  heartily,  and  shook  hands  with  the  young 
men  one  after  the  other.  Then  she  walked  out  of 
the  house  into  the  windy  night. 

The  three  guests  breathed  more  freely  when  austere 
Aunt  Ursul  had  turned  her  broad  back,  and  her  heavy 
tread  outside  was  heard.  But  it  was  some  time  be- 
fore they  began  to  look  about  them  and  to  talk, 
though  Catherine  kindly  invited  them  to  take  seats, 
and  assured  them  that  the  soup  would  soon  be  ready. 

Richard  Herkimer  said  to  Fritz  Volz:  "Better  sit 
down,  Fritz,"  though  he  himself  remained  standing. 
Fritz  Volz  pushed  Adam  Bellinger  in  the  side  and 
asked  him  if  he  did  not  see  that  he  was  standing  in 
the  way  of  the  young  lady.  Then  they  rubbed  their 
hands  as  if  they  were  entirely  frozen,  though,  at  least 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 6/ 

on  Adam's  brow,  clear  sweat  drops  were  impearled. 
And  when  they  spoke  it  was  in  whispers,  as  though 
the  steaming  soup  which  Catherine  now  placed  on  the 
table  was  to  be  their  last  meal. 

Adam  Bellinger  was  not  quite  sure  whether  this 
would  be  the  case  with  him.  Fritz  Volz  had  before 
told  him  that  the  chief  business  would  be  diligently  to 
patrol  against  the  enemy,  and,  since  he  had  such  a 
burning  desire  to  measure  himself  against  the  French, 
he  must  make  the  beginning;  that  it  was  indeed  no 
fun  to  walk  about  the  woods  in  the  night  when  there 
might  be  a  Frenchman  behind  every  tree;  but  that 
doubtless  Adam  would  teach  the  fellows  manners. 
Adam  said  that  he  had  come  to  help  defend  the  block- 
house against  a  possible  attack,  but  not  to  let  himself 
be  shot  by  the  French  and  scalped  by  the  Indians  in 
the  woods  in  the  night  and  fog.  The  contention 
about  this,  which  had  before  been  arrested,  was  now 
again  taken  up  by  the  teasing  Fritz,  though  with  a 
little  timidity.  He  wanted  to  know  from  Adam  how 
he  could  distinguish  between  a  tree-trunk  and  an  In- 
dian, in  the  night.  Richard  asked  him  how  he  would 
save  himself  if  he  were  suddenly  seized  by  his  long, 
yellow  hair  from  behind  and  jerked  to  the  ground. 
By  these  and  other  similar  questions  of  the  two  teas- 
ers, Adam  was  thrown  into  great  distress.  They 
laughed  loud,  while  he  came  near  crying,  until  Cath- 
erine interposed,  saying  that  a  courageous  man  would 
in  danger  hit  upon  the  right   thing,  though   he  might 


1 68  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

not    be    able   to  tell  beforehand  what  he  would  do. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  Adam,  "the  young  lady  has 
more  sense  in  her  little  finger  than  you  have  in  your 
two  heads.  I  shall  doubtless  know  what  I  have  to 
do." 

He  accompanied  these  brave  words  with  such  a 
thankful,  tender  look  at  Catherine,  that  both  the 
merry  rogues  broke  out  in  loud  laughter,  and  a  glim- 
mer of  mirthfulness  passed  over  Lambert's  earnest 
face. 

"It  is  enough,"  said  he.  "Adam  will  do  his  duty 
as  well  as  the  rest  of  us.  It  is  time  that  we  assign 
the  watch  for  the  night;  two  for  every  two  hours,  and 
Adam  and  I  will  make  the  beginning.  Good  night, 
Catherine." 

He  gave  his  hand  to  Catherine.  The  others  fol- 
lowed his  example.  As  Lambert  was  leaving  the 
house  Fritz  Volz  and  Richard  Herkimer  came  out 
too. 

"We  will  also  rather  stay  outdoors,"  said  Richard. 
"Fritz,  as  I  know  by  experience,  cannot  do  without 
snoring  and  that  might  disturb  Catherine,  who  surely 
needs  sleep." 

Fritz  Volz  said  he  could  do  without  snoring,  but 
Richard  could  not  stop  talking,  and  that  it  was  on 
the  whole  better  that  they  should  camp  before  the 
door. 

"You  kind  young  men,"  said  Lambert. 

"Is  that   kind?"    said   Richard  eagerly.   "I   would 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 69 

stand  all  night  on  my  head  if  I  knew  that  Catherine 
would  sleep  better  on  that  account." 

"And  I  would  lie  there  in  the  creek  up  to  my  neck 
in  the  water,"  said  Fritz  Volz. 

Adam  sighed,  and  looked  at  the  moon  which  hung 
clear  and  large  over  the  forest. 

"Come,  Adam,"  said  Lambert,  "we  will  go  upon 
our  round." 

They  set  out,  accompanied  by  Pluto.  The  others 
stretched  themselves^  out  upon  the  dry  sand  before 
the  door,  wrapped  up  in  their  blankets,  their  rifles 
in  their  arms.  Fritz  Volz  did  not  snore.  Richard 
Herkimer  did  not  talk.  Both  looked  up  to  the  twin- 
kling stars,  lost  in  thoughts  which  happily  remained 
concealed  from  Gussie  and  Annie  Bellinger. 

Never  before  had  Catherine  been  so  carefully 
guarded  as  during  this  night. 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  following  day  was  the  Sabbath,  though  it 
brought  the  Germans  on  the  Mohawk  and  on  the 
creek  no  Sabbath  rest;  but  only. labor,  fatigue,  alarm, 
distraction.  From  early  mofning  it  swarmed  in  all 
the  settlements  as  in  a  bee-hive.  Wives  prepared 
and  packed.  Holes  were  dug  in  carefully  selected 
and  well-concealed  places,  in  which  such  valuable 
things  as  could  not  well  be  taken  along  were  hidden. 
The  men  got  their  arms  in  readiness,  or  brought  the 
cattle  from  the  pastures  and  from  the  woods  and  shut 
them  up  in  the  yards  so  that  they  could  at  any  mo- 
ment drive  them  to  the  fort,  or  to  Herkimer's  house, 
as  orders  had  been  given  yesterday  afternoon.  Boats 
went  busily  here  and  there.  From  time  to  time  a 
rider  hastened  to  one  of  the  rendezvous  appointed  for 
the  three  flying  corps.  A  feeling  of  security  and  pride 
took  possession  of  all  when  such  a  squadron,  con- 
sisting of  twenty-four  well  mounted  and  armed  young 
men,  under  the  lead  of  Charles  Herkimer,  Richard's 
oldest  brothef,  trotted  up  the  river  toward  Black 
River  to  reconnoiter.  By  noon  the  two  new  ferries 
were  also  ready.  All  felt  assured  of  the  usefulness 
of  these  arrangements,  now  that  it  had  come   to  the 

point  of  actual  flight,  though  yesterday  they  had  met 

170 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  I/I 

with  earnest  opposition.  However,  more  than  one 
could  hardly  believe  in  such  a  possibility,  for  the  sun 
in  the  blue  sky  shone  down  so  golden,  the  birds  sang 
so  blithely  in  the  trees,  and  over  the  fields  from  the 
little  church  on  the  hill  came  the  clear  sound  of  the 
small  bell.  But,  indeed,  on  the  twelfth  of  Novem- 
ber of  the  year  before,  the  sun  also  rose  clear,  and 
when  it  had  gone  down  its  last  rays  had  fallen  on  the 
ruins  of  more  than  one  burned  house,  and  more  than 
one  was  lying  in  the  fields  who  would  never  again  see 
it  rise.  The  remembrance  of  that  dreadful  day  was 
yet  too  fresh  to  allow  the  thoughtless  to  shut  out  the 
seriousness  of  the  situation;  and  the  bitter  thought 
that  they  would  have  to  answer  for  leaving  house  and 
home  unprotected  from  the  ruthless  enemy,  reminded 
them  of  Herkimer's  words  the  day  before,  that  every- 
thing, except  life  itself,  can  again  be  arranged,  and 
can  be  more  or  less  easily  made  to  accommodate  it- 
self to  the  inevitable. 

Also  in  the  otherwise  so  quiet  house  on  the  creek 
there  was  to-day  a  restless  urgency.  Jacob  Ehrlich 
and  Anthony  Bierman  had  come  from  the  Mohawk, 
accoutered  with  their  rifles  and  a  large  sack  of  ammu- 
nition, which  Herkimer  had  given  them,  and  which 
the  stout  young  men  had  carried  by  turns  the  whole 
distance  up  the  creek.  Now  the  powder,  to  which 
each  added  his  own  store,  was  equally  divided,  and 
the  caliber  of  the  rifles  was  measured,  whence  it  ap- 
peared that  two  different  sizes  of  bullets  must  be  cast. 


172  THE   GERMAN   PIONEERS 

With  this  Lambert  intrusted  Adam  Bellinger,  after, 
under  four  eyes,  not  without  a  certain  solemnity,  he 
had  said  that  it  was  his  earnest  desire  to  stay  and 
take  part  in  every  danger  with  him  and  the  rest.  He 
knew  about  the  French,  but  would  rather  hear  the 
whistling  of  their  bullets  and  the  Indian's  war-whoop 
than  the  laughter  of  the  women  at  home  should  he 
now  return  without  having  accomplished  anything. 
Lambert  pitied  the  poor  fellow,  and  the  more  since 
Catherine  took  kindly  to  her  foolish  admirer  and 
laughed  in  a  friendly  way  at  his  peculiarities. 

In  the  council  of  war  held  by  the  young  men  it  was 
decided  that  they  must  leave  the  door-yard,  which 
for  good  reasons  had  been  made  to  extend  a  consid- 
erable distance  from  the  house,  as  it  was,  and  that 
their  defense  must  be  confined  to  the  house  itself. 
The  proposition  of  Richard  to  conduct  the  water  of 
the  creek  into  the  dry  ditch  which  encircled  the  foot 
of  the  hill  outside  of  the  stone  inclosure  was  discarded 
as  evidently  requiring  too  much  time.  Instead  of 
this  it  was  decided  to  deepen  the  partly  filled  ditch  as 
much  as  they  could,  and  in  many  places  where  the 
wall  was  broken  down  to  repair  and  raise  it  and  en- 
tirely to  block  up  the  passage-way  through  it  opposite 
the  house-door  with  stones  and  plank,  and  meanwhile 
use  a  bridge  over  the  wall  and  dug-way  that  could  be 
easily  removed.  There  was  found  little  to  do  to  the 
house  itself,  though  they  looked  carefully  after  the 
strong   shutters   with   which   the    port-holes   of   the 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  173 

ground-floor,  like  those  of  a  war-ship,  could  be  closed 
from  within,  and  so  also  at  those  covering  the  round 
holes  in  the  gallery,  through  which  they  could  fire  at 
an  enemy  from  above,  should  he  be  able  to  reach  the 
house  and  come  beneath  the  gallery.  In  the  roof 
were  cut  several  trap-doors,  so  that  here  also  those 
approaching  could  be  greeted  with  two  very  long- 
range  rifles. 

While  the  men  were  thus  engaged,  Catherine  and 
Aunt  Ursul,  who  had  again  come  early  in  the  morning, 
did  not  remain  unemployed.  Fortunately  water  did 
not  first  have  to  be  brought.  The  spring  carried  into 
the  house  by  the  intelligent  and  indescribable  labor  of 
Lambert's  father,  furnished  plentifully  all  that  was 
needed.  But  for  the  moment  the  supply  of  provis- 
ions seemed  to  be  inadequate.  During  Lambert's 
absence  Conrad  had  lived  from  hand  to  mouth,  accord- 
ing to  his  hunter's  custom,  and  Catherine  had  mani- 
festly had  no  time  to  supply  what  was  lacking.  So 
Adam  had  repeatedly  to  go  empty  to  the  Ditmar 
house,  which  happily  was  not  far,  and  come  back 
loaded  with  loaves  of  bread,  hams  and  other  good 
things — every  time  received  with  a  loud  hallo  by  his 
merry  companions — until  Aunt  Ursul  declared  that 
there  was  enough  to  last  eight  days.  For  still  better 
provision  a  couple  of  wethers  of  Lambert's  small 
flock  were  driven  into  the  inclosure  where  also  Hans 
was  pastured  on  the  short  g^rass,  and  often  shook  his 
thick  head  and  looked  at  Lambert  with  his  intelligent 


174  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

eyes,  as  though  he  wished  to  know  what  the  unusual 
rush  to-day  might  mean,  and  whether  he  must  walk 
about  saddled  all  day.  But  it  might  be  that  at  any 
moment  a  message  had  to  be  sent,  and  Hans  had  to 
be  ready. 

So  they  labored  busily  in  the  work  of  fortifying, 
and  were  toward  noon  engaged  in  erecting  the  fire- 
signal,  when  a  rider  on  a  gray  horse  became  visible, 
as  he  was  coming  up  the  valley  on  a  trot. 

"Herkimer!  Herkimer!"  called  out  Fritz  Volz, 
who  first  saw  him. 

"Yes,  it  is  father,"  said  Richard  in  confirmation. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  distinguished  man  stopped 
before  the  door,  and  was  respectfully  greeted  by 
Lambert  and  the  other  young  men. 

"I  have  no  time  to  stop,"  said  Herkimer,  "and 
only  wanted  to  see  how  far  you  have  got.  Now  this 
looks  well.  Could  you  fill  the  ditch  with  water  it 
would  indeed  be  better;  but  this  would  be  a  long  and 
wearisome  labor,  and  you  will  have  to  dispense  with 
it.  How  are  you  off  for  ammunition.^  Do  you  think 
you  have  enough,  Lambert.-*" 

Herkimer  had  now  dismounted,  and  he  asked  Lam- 
bert and  Aunt  Ursul,  who  had  meanwhile  come  out  of 
the  house,  to  give  him  detailed  account  of  the  con- 
dition of  things,  by  means  of  which  he  knew  how  to 
bring  it  about  that  they  should  get  some  distance 
from  the  others. 

He  then  said,    "I  would  like  to  speak  to  you  alone. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1/5 

I  feel  sure  of  you,  and  of  Richard,  but  I  am  not  so 
certain  of  the  others,  whom  I  do  not  know  so  well. 
You  will  here,  so  far  as  one  can  now  judge,  have  a 
difficult  position.  I  this  morning  received  intelli- 
gence that  the  French  have  at  least  three  hundred 
men,  and  that  besides  this  the  Onondagas  and  the 
Oneidas  will  join  them.  The  bargain  is  indeed  not 
yet  concluded,  but  will  doubtless  be  made  if  our  last 
means  fail — I  mean  if  Conrad  is  not  in  a  position  to 
bring  his  old  friends  into  a  different  state  of  mind.  I 
have  from  the  governor  the  long-expected  authority 
to  yield  to  them  everything  possible,  and  can  intrust 
Conrad  with  it.  He  or  nobody  is  in  a  situation  to 
turn  away  from  us  this  great  misfortune.  Where  is 
he.^     I  have  not  yet  seen  him." 

"  Hurry  over  there,  Lambert.     Those  sparrow-heads 
will  not  finish  without  you,"  said  Aunt  Ursul. 

The  poor  boy!"  she  proceeded,  as  Lambert  went 
away  with  red  cheeks  and  a  thankful  look  at  Aunt 
Ursul,  "the  poor,  dear  boy!  his  heart  is  being  eaten 
out;  and  that  so  that  now  the  whole  world  must  be- 
come acquainted  with  his  brother's  shame,  which  is 
really  his  own  shame.  Nay,  you  are  indeed  not  spon- 
sor for  the  whole  world,  Herkimer,  but  in  this  case 
you  must  be  satisfied  with  me." 

She  then  briefly  told  Herkimer  all  that  it  was  nec- 
essary for  him  to  know. 

The   excellent    man    listened    with    an    earnest, 
thoughtful  mien,  and  there  lay  a  deep  pain  in   the 


176  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

tone  of  his  voice  as  now,  shaking  his  gray  head,  he 
said: 

"So  we  Germans  will  not  unitedly  resist  our  nat- 
ural enemy.  That  Conrad  should  now  fail  us  is  a  sad 
misfortune.  His  quarrel  with  Lambert  at  this  mo- 
ment means,  not  one  friend  less,  but  several  hundred 
enemies  more.  Yes,  why  do  I  say  hundred.?  The 
example  of  the  Oneidas  may  become  the  measure  of 
all  the  nations  along  the  lakes,  and  then  our  well-be- 
ing— our  peace — is  past  for  a  long  time,  perhaps  for- 
ever!" 

Nicolas  Herkimer  sighed,  and  struck  his  forehead 
with  his  hand. 

"Now,"  said  he,  "what  one  cannot  hinder  one  must 
let  happen,  and,  in  any  case,  poor  Catherine  cannot 
help  it.  Let  us  go  in  a  few  moments,  aunt,  I  would 
like  to  form  the  acquaintance  of  the  maiden  who  so 
turns  the  heads  of  our  young  men." 

Catherine,  who  was  busily  engaged  at  the  hearth  in 
her  preparations  for  dinner,  had  paid  no  attention  to 
what  was  going  on  outside.  She  had  just  stepped  to 
the  door  to  look  for  Aunt  Ursul,  and  suddenly  saw  a 
strange  and  very  stately  man  opposite  to  her,  in 
whom  she  at  once  recognized  Nicolas  Herkimer.  A 
deep  blush  flew  over  her  cheeks;  then,  however,  she 
approached  without  being  confused,  and  put  her  hand 
in  Herkimer's  offered  right  hand. 

"Poor  child!"  said  he,  holding  her  thin  fingers  for 
a  moment,    "the  life  that    awaits  you  here  is   very 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  177 

rough.     May  the  strength  you  need  not  be  wanting  to 
you." 

"Ah,  what,  sponsor,"  said  Aunt  Ursul;  "do  not 
make  the  maiden  shy.  You  think  because  she  has 
hands  hke  a  princess — but  it  depends  not  on  the 
hands,  but  on  the  heart,  sponsor — and  that  I  assure 
you  is  in  the  right  place.      So  much  I  can  tell  you." 

"Should  you  not  say  it,  those  eyes  would  do  so," 
said  Herkimer  smihng — "at  least  to  me,  who  am  old 
enough  to  look  into  them  without  being  punished  for 
it.  Now,  my  dear  girl,  you  need  not  blush.  You  see 
my  hair  is  getting  gray,  so  a  joke  may  be  allowed. 
Live  happy,  Aunt  Ursul.  Live  happy,  kind  maiden; 
and  may  heaven  grant  that  we  may  joyfully  meet 
again." 

He  said  the  last  words  also  to  the  young  men,  who 
had  finished  their  work  and  had  come  up.  Then  he 
pressed  the  hand  of  each  one  in  turn,  holding  that  of 
his  son  Richard  perhaps  a  moment  longer,  swung 
himself  on  the  gray,  and  rode  off  on  a  sharp  trot  with- 
out looking  back. 

"That  is  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  there  is  no 
guile,"  said  Aunt  Ursul.  "And  now,  children,  let  us 
go  to  the  table.     I  have  an  appetite  like  a  wild  wolf." 

Notwithstanding  this  information,  at  the  dinner  to 
which  they  now  sat  down  Aunt  Ursul  ate  almost 
nothing,  and  also,  contrary  to  her  custom,  was  very 
still.  Toward  the  last  she  took  no  part  whatever  in 
the  conversation,  and  first   woke  from  her  absent- 


178  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

mindedness  when  Anthony  Bierman,  who  had  the 
watch,  announced  the  minister. 

"Who?"  called  Aunt  Ursul,  as  she  quickly  rose 
from  her  chair;  "the  minister?  He  comes  at  the  right 
time  for  me.  God  has  sent  him.  Keep  your  seats; 
do  you  hear?" 

Aunt  Ursul  hastily  left  the  house  and  went  to  meet 
the  minister,  who,  with  rapid  strides,  was  approach- 
ing, having  his  hat,  wig  and  snuff-box  in  one  hand, 
and  in  the  other  a  colored  pocket  handkerchief  with 
which  he  was  wiping  his  bald  head. 

"I  know  it  already,"  he  called  out,  as  soon  as  he 
caught  sight  of  Aunt  Ursul.  "Herkimer,  who  met 
me  between  your  house  and  Volz',  has  told  me 
everything." 

"So  much  the  better,"  replied  Aunt  Ursul,  "and 
now,  dominie,  don't  talk  as  loud  as  if  you  were  stand- 
ing in  the  pulpit.  The  young  folks  are  within,  and 
must  not  hear  what  we  are  doing  here.    Come  close." 

She  led  the  minister  away  from  the  house  to  the 
wall  of  the  door-yard,  where  nobody  could  hear  ex- 
cept Hans,  who  now  raised  his  thick  head  and  with  a 
bit  of  grass  in  his  mouth  observantly  looked  at  the 
two  with  his  black  eyes  from  under  his  bushy  foretop. 

"What  business  have  you  to  listen?  Go  your 
way,"  said  Aunt  Ursul  to  the  horse. 

"But,  Aunt  Ursul,  what  in  all  the  world  is  it  all 
about  ?"  asked  the  minister. 

"You  shall  soon  hear,"  replied  Aunt  Ursul,  whose 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  1/9 

glances  wandered  from  the  edge  of  the  woods  to  the 
sky,  and  from  there  again  toward  the  woods,  and  at 
last,  with  a  peculiar  expression  of  face,  rested  on  the 
minister. 

"You  are  not  married,  dominie,  and  for  what  you 
do,  or  leave  undone,  you  are  accountable  to  nobody." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that.'^"  asked  the  minister. 

"My  old  man  is  seventy-one,  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  he  will  last  much  longer,"  remarked  Ursul 
thoughtfully. 

The  minister  held  the  pinch  of  snuff,  that  he  had 
meant  to  apply  to  his  nose,  between  his  fingers,  and 
looked  attentively  at  Aunt  Ursul. 

"Should  he  live  longer,  he  has  had  me  thirty  years; 
and  sometime  everything  must  come  to  an  end;  so 
we  are  very  properly  called  and  chosen  thereto." 

The  minister  dropped  the  pinch  of  snuff.  "For 
God's  sake,  Aunt  Ursul,  what  are  you  driving  at.?" 

"I  took  you  to  be  more  courageous,"  said  Aunt 
Ursul. 

"And  I  you  to  be  more  rational,"  said  the  minister. 

"About  such  things  one  must  ask  his  own  heart," 
said  Aunt  Ursul. 

"And  the  heart  is  a  timorous,  perverse  thing,"  re- 
plied the  minister. 

"Yes,   very  timid,"  said  Aunt  Ursul,  scornfully. 

"Yes;   truly  perverse,"  said  the  minister  guardedly. 

"Now,  without  further  parley,  will  you  be  my  man, 
or  not .?"  said  Aunt  Ursul  who  had  lost  patience. 


l8o  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"God  forbid!"  said  the  minister,  who  could  no 
longer  control  his  repugnance. 

"Indeed,  you  look  like  a  man,"  said  Aunt  Ursul 
contemptuously,  turning  on  her  heel. 

"Are  you  then  entirely  God-forsaken,  unhappy 
woman.''"  said  the  minister,  laying  his  fleshy  hand  on 
Aunt  Ursul' s  shoulder. 

"Not  I,  but  you,  hare-hearted  man,"  said  Aunt 
Ursul,  shaking  off  his  hand  and  turning  vigorously 
away.  "You  who  always  preach  about  sacrifice  and 
love,  and  have  neither  the  one  nor  the  other;  and 
shear  the  cuckoo  for  the  lost  lamb,  if  you  can  only  sit 
quietly  by  your  flesh-pots.  Now  f  hen  stay,  in  the 
devil's  name — God  forgive  me  the  sin — I  shall  be  able 
alone  to  find  the  road  to  my  poor,  misguided  boy, 
and  God  will  give  me  the  right  words  to  touch  his 
heart." 

Again  Aunt  Ursul  turiied  away.  The  minister 
slapped  his  forehead,  and  with  a  few  rapid  steps  over- 
took her  as  she  was  hastening  from  him. 

"Aunt  Ursul!"  * 

"What  do  you  want.?" 

"Naturally  I  will  go  with  you." 

"For  once." 

"For  once  and  every  time.  By  the  thousand, 
woman !  why  did  you  not  tell  me  at  once  that  it  was 
something  about  Conrad.?" 

"About  whom  else  should  it  be.?" 

"About  many  things.      Forget   what   I   have   said. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  l8l 

I  give  you  my  word  as  a  man  and  as  a  servant  of 
God  that  it  was  a  misunderstanding — of  which  I  am 
ashamed — and  for  which  I  ask  your  pardon.  When 
shall  we  start?" 

Aunt  Ursul  shook  her  head.  She  could  not  con- 
ceive what  her  old  friend  had  before  thought,  but  she 
felt  that  he  was  now  fully  resolved,  and  minutes  were 
precious. 

"At  once  naturally,"  she  replied  to  his  last  ques- 
tion. 

"I  am  ready." 

"So!  Come  in  and  say  a  friendly  word  to  the  girl, 
and  let  nothing  be  noticed.  Lambert  must  not  know 
what  we  have  in  hand.  Nobody  must  know.  If  we 
succeed  in  bringing  him  back  it  is  well;  if  not,  let  his 
shame  be  buried  with  us.  In  either  case  they  must 
not  feel  concerned  about  us.  It  is  possible,  dominie, 
that  we  shall  never  return.  You  comprehend  that 
clearly .?" 

"God's  will  be  done,"  said  the  minister. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Two  hours  later,  Aunt  Ursul  and  the  minister  were 
already  deep  in  the  forest,  away  from  the  creek,  on 
a  narrow  Indian  path,  which  was  as  well  the  path  of 
the  buffalo  and  the  deer.  But  Pluto,  going  before 
the  wanderers,  with  her  broad  nose  near  the  ground 
and  her  long,  restless  tail  wagging,  did  not  follow  the 
tracks  of  buffalo  or  deer.  More  than  once  she  turned 
away  from  a  fresh  track  into  the  woods,  every  time 
soon  to  return  into  the  path. 

''You  see  now,  dominie,  how  well  it  is  that  I  went 
back  to  fetch  the  dog  on  an  occasion  like  this,"  said 
Aunt  Ursul.  "You  were  impatient  at  the  losing  of 
time,  but  we  are  well  paid  for  it." 

"It  was  not  on  account  of  the  delay,"  replied  the 
minister.  "I  was  afraid  that,  in  spite  of  our  large 
circuit,  they  would  guess  our  purpose.  Both  Lambert 
and  Catherine  looked  at  us  with  an  expression  which, 
as  I  read  it,  meant:    'We  know  what  you  are  up  to!'" 

"They  know  nothing,"  said  Aunt  Ursul.  "Why 
should  I  not  call  out  the  dog  for  my  own  and  my  old 
man's  greater  security.?" 

"Because  nobody  would  really  believe  that  you  are 
so  disturbed  by  fear." 

"Well,"  said    Aunt  Ursul,   "let  them    think  what 

183 


THE  GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 83 

they  please.  Without  the  dog  we  should  fail,  and  so 
let  us  push  on." 

"I  am  not  quite  sure  that  we  shall  so  reach  our 
end,  Aunt  UrsuL" 

"Are  you  already  tired?" 

"I  tire  not  so  easily,  in  such  an  affair,  you  know. 
But  who  can  assure  us  that  Conrad,  in  his  anger  and 
despondency,  has  not  walked  as  far  as  his  feet  would 
carry  him,  which  at  last  must  be  farther  than  we  with 
our  best  will  can  go.  And  there  is  another  pbssibil- 
ity,  of  which  I  think  with  trembling." 

"That  my  young  man  has  gone  over  to  them?" 
cried  Aunt  Ursul,  turning  so  quickly  that  the  minis- 
ter, who  was  close  behind,  jumped  back  a  step.  "Do 
you  mean  that?" 

"God  forbid!"  replied  the  minister,  displeased  at 
Aunt  Ursul's  question,  and  that  by  its  earnestness  his 
opened  snuff-box  was  almost  knocked  out  of  his  hand. 
"But  he  who  lays  his  hand  upon  his  brother,  as  Con- 
rad has  done,  may  also  lay  his  hand  upon  himself.  As 
far  as  I  know  Conrad,  the  last  will  be  at  least  as  easy 
as  the  first." 

"You,  however,  do  not  know  my  young  man," 
said  Aunt  Ursul  earnestly,  and  she  went  on  in  more 
quiet  tones:  "See,  dominie,  I  admit  that  the  young 
man,  at  this  moment,  does  not  value  his  life  more 
than  a  pine  cone,  but,  notwithstanding,  I  would  swear 
that  he  will  sell  it  dear.  And  who  shall  pay  for  it? 
The  French  and  their  base  Indians.     That  you  may 


1 84  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

depend  on.  And  see,  dominie,  that  is  also  the  rea- 
son why  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  he  has  not 
gone  as  far  as  his  feet  could  carry  him,  but  is  some- 
where here  near  by,  and  is  keeping  sharp  watch  over 
the  house  in  which  his  parents  lived,  whose  door-sill 
he  will  never  again  cross.  He  may  keep  his  word, 
but  be  assured,  dominie,  if  the  enemy  get  so  far  they 
will  have  to  come  over  his  dead  body." 

Deeply  moved.  Aunt  Ursul  was  silent.  The  minis- 
ter, though  not  entirely  convinced,  thought  it  pru- 
dent not  to  express  his  opinion. 

So  they  went  on  for  some  time  in  silence.  The 
dog  ran  ahead,  or.  out  to  one  or  the  other  side  of  the 
path,  at  one  moment  stopping  and  smelling  up  in  the 
air,  then  again  eagerly  following  a  track.  Aunt 
Ursul' s  sharp,  knowing  eyes  watched  every  move- 
ment of  the  animal,  and  often  she  gently  said: 
"Search,  Pluto! — that  is  right,  Pluto,"  more  to  her- 
self than  to  the  dog,  for  she  needed  little  encourage- 
ment. The  minister  kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  Aunt 
Ursul' s  broad  back,  and  conversed  with  her  when  the 
path  did  not  require  all  his  attention. 

This  indeed  was  often  the  case,  and  soon  the  path 
became  so  difficult  for  their  unaccustomed  feet  that 
conversation  stopped  entirely.  Ever  rougher  and 
steeper  became  the  ascent  over  the  great  roots  of  the 
old  forest  pines.  Ever  more  wildly  roared  the  creek 
among  the  sharp  rocks,  until  at  length  in  a  deep  cleft 
under  overhanging  vines  it  entirely  disappeared  from 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 85 

the  wanderers.  Following  the  dog,  they  now  turned 
off  to  the  right  into  the  woods,  and,  laboriously  going 
up  a  few  hundred  steps,  reached  the  top  of  the  pla- 
teau. 

Here  the  minister,  whose  strength  was  nearly  ex- 
hausted, would  gladly  have  rested  a  few  moments; 
but  Aunt  Ursul,  with  an  expressive  look,  pointed  to 
the  dog,  which  with  great  jumps,  as  though  full  of 
joy,  ran  about  a  pine  which  stretched  up  giant-like  in 
the  midst  of  a  little  opening. 

"There  he  lay,"  said  Aunt  Ursul,  almost  breath- 
less from  excitement  and  joy.  "Here,  in  this  spot, 
he  lay.  Do  you  see,  dominie,  the  impression  in  the 
moss  and  the  crushed  bushes?  There  also  is  a  torn 
piece  of  paper.  Here  he  put  a  new  load  in  his  rifle. 
Further,  dominie,  further.  I  would  swear  that  in 
less  than  half  an  hour  we  will  have  himself.  Further ! 
Further!" 

The  energetic  woman  shoved  her  rifle,  which  had 
slid  off  by  her  bending  over,  more  securely  on  her 
shoulder,  and  took  several  long  steps,  as  the  dog, 
which  for  a  moment  had  stood  motionless  with  raised 
head  looking  into  the  woods,  suddenly,  with  a  loud 
bark  and  breaking  through  the  bushes  with  great 
leaps,  disappeared  in  the  forest. 

"Now,  God  help  us!  what  then  has  the  beast.^" 
said  the  minister,  coming  up  panting. 

"Her  master,"  replied  Aunt  Ursul.     "Still!" 

Bending  her  body  she  stared  with  great  round  eyes 


186  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

at  the  thicket  in  which  the  dog  had  disappeared. 
The  minister's  heart  throbbed  ready  to  burst.  He 
would  gladly  have  taken  a  pinch  of  snuff,  as  he 
usually  did  when  peculiarly  excited,  but  Aunt  Ursul 
had  laid  her  hand  on  his  arm,  and  her  brown  fingers 
pressed  harder  and  harder. 

Still !"  said  she  again,  though  the  minister  neither 
spoke  nor  stirred.      'Don't  you  hear  anything.?" 

"No,"  said  the  minister. 

"But  I  do." 

A  peculiar  sound,  half  a  call,  half  a  sob,  came  from 
her  throat.  She  let  go  the  arm  of  the  minister  and 
hastened  in  the  same  direction  the  dog  had  taken. 
But  she  had  not  yet  reached  the  edge  of  the  open- 
ing, when  the  bushes  separated  and  Conrad  stepped 
out,  accompanied  by  Pluto,  barking  with  joy  and 
jumping  up  against  her  master.  Aunt  Ursul  could  not 
or  would  not  check  her  walk.  She  threw  herself  for- 
ward on  Conrad's  breast,  who  with  strong  arms  em- 
braced the  good  aunt,  his  second  mother,  bending  his 
face  over  her  shoulder  to  conceal  the  tears  streaming 
from  his  eyes. 

So  the  two  stood,  encircled  in  each  other's  arms, 
and  the  light  of  the  evening  sun  played  so  beautifully 
about  the  handsome  picture  that  the  eyelashes  of  the 
minister  became  moist. 

He  stepped  up  gently,  and,  laying  one  hand  on 
Conrad's  shoulder  and  the  other  on  that  of  his  aunt, 
said  heartily:  "Here  my  blessing  is  not  needed,  but 
I  must  be  permitted  to  rejoice  with  you." 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 8/ 

"God  bless  you,  dominie!"  said  Conrad,  raising 
himself  up  and  reaching  out  his  hand  to  the  worthy 
man.  "This  is  handsom'?  in  you  that  you  have  accom- 
panied aunt.  I  did  not  expect  you,  at  least  not  both 
of  you." 

"Yet,  Conrad,"  said  Aunt  Ursul,  interrupting  him, 
"why  are  you  ashamed  to  tell  the  truth.?  You  did 
expect  me!" 

"Well,  yes,"  said  Conrad. 

"And  I  have  brought  him  along,"  Aunt  Ursul 
added,  "because  you  know  him  from  childhood,  that 
he  is  a  good  and  righteous  man;  and  in  such  a  case 
a  man  can  speak  better  to  a  man  than  a  poor  v/oman 
like  me,  for  the  cuckoo  knows  how  it  looks  in  your 
hard  hearts." 

Conrad's  handsome  countenance  darkened  while 
his  aunt  spoke  in  this  manner.  His  eyes  looked  angry 
from  under  his  sunken  eyelashes.  However,  he  forced 
himself  to  speak  with  apparent  calmness,  saying:  "I 
thank  you  again;  but,  aunt,  and  you,  dominie,  I  beg 
you  say  nothing  about  him — you  know  whom  I  mean 
— and  also  nothing  about  her.  I  can't  hear  it  and  I 
won't  hear  it.  It  may  be  that  I  am  wrong,  but  I 
have  taken  my  stand  and  will  take  the  consequences." 

"Now,"  said  Aunt  Ursul  to  the  minister,  "you  must 
open  your  mouth.  For  what  else  did  I  bring  you 
along?" 

Aunt  Ursul  was  quite  angry.  She  felt  a  secret  sym- 
pathy with  Conrad,  and  had  at  the  same  time  an  ob- 


1 88  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

scure  feeling  that,  in  his  condition,  she  would  think 
and  speak  and  act  in  the  same  manner.  She  could 
say  nothing  more,  in  a  case  in  which  her  heart  sided 
so  painfully  with  the  one  who  was  in  the  wrong. 

The  minister,  in  his  excitement,  took  one  pinch  of 
snuff  after  the  other.  Then  he  sought  unavailingly 
for  the  few  remaining  particles,  tlosed  his  box,  put 
it  in  his  pocket,  and  said:  "Conrad,  listen  quietly  to 
me  a  few  minutes.  I  think  I  can  tell  you  something 
of  which  you  have,  perhaps,  not  so  earnestly  thought. 
Whether  you  are  wrong  in  regard  to  your  brother  and 
the  maiden — whom  I  to-day  first  learned  to  know, 
and  who  appears  to  be  a  good,  brave  girl — or  not,  I 
will  not  decide,  nor  will  I  examine  into  the  matter. 
I  have  never  been  married,  nor,  so  far  as  I  know,  in 
love,  but  once,  and  that  so  long  ago  that  it  may  well 
be  that  I  do  not  understand  such  things.  But,  Con- 
rad, there  are  brothers  whom  we  cannot  renounce. 
There  are  father's  houses  which  must  be  sacred  to  us 
under  all  circumstances.  In  the  one  case  we  are  of 
the  same  lineage;  in  the  other  it  is  our  home-land. 
On  this  account,  to  us  driven  away  and  thrust  out — 
to  us  pressed  down  and  shaken  together  by  strangers 
in  a  strange  land — must  those  relatives  who  are  still 
left — must  the  country  of  our  new  home,  be  twice  and 
thrice  holy.  And  there  is  nothing,  Conrad,  that  can 
release  us  from  this  duty;  no  strife  with  a  brother,  no 
wish  to  have  a  wife,  no  rights  as  to  mine  and  thine, 
for  here  there  is  no  mine  and  thine,  but  only  our^  as 


THE   GERMAN   PIONEERS  1 89 

in  the  prayer  we  offer  to  God  in  whom  we  all  believe. 
I  know  well,  Conrad,  that  this  feeling  of  holy  duty 
has  not  died  out  of  your  heart;  that,  on  the  other  hand, 
you  will  in  your  own  way  satisfy  it.  But,  Conrad, 
your  way  is  not  a  good  one,  even  were  you  deter- 
mined, as  we  all  suppose,  to  sacrifice  your  life.  I 
tell  you,  Conrad,  God  will  not  accept  the  offering. 
He  will  reject  it,  as  he  did  Cain's  sacrifice,  and  your 
precious  blood  will  run  down  into  the  sand  useless 
and  unhonored." 

The  minister's  deep  voice  had  an  unusually  solemn 
tone,  in  this  forest  stillness;  and  as  he  now,  on  ac- 
count of  his  emotion,  which  beautifully  illuminated 
his  plain  face,  was  silent  a  few  moments,  it  roared 
through  the  branches  of  the  giant  pines  as  if  God 
himself  and  not  a  man  had  spoken. 

So  at  least  it  seemed  to  good  Aunt  Ursul,  and  the 
same  feeling  was  able  also  to  touch  the  wild  and  per- 
verse heart  of  Conrad.  His  broad  breast  rose  and  fell 
powerfully;  his  face  had  a  peculiar,  constrained  ex- 
pression ;  his  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  ground,  and  his 
strong  hands,  which  grasped  the  barrel  of  his  gun, 
trembled. 

The  minister  began  anew:  "Your  precious  blood 
— I  say,  Conrad,  precious,  as  all  human  blood  is 
precious,  but  doubly  precious  in  the  hour  of  danger, 
thrice  precious  when  it  flows  in  the  veins  of  a  man  to 
whom  the  God  of  all  has  given  the  power  to  be  the 
protection  and  defense  of  those  nearest  to  him.    More- 


190  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

over,  Conrad,  to  whom  much  is  given,  of  him  shall 
much  be  required.  The  rest  of  us  are  only  like 
soldiers  in  rank  and  file,  and  we  need  not  be  ashamed 
of  it.  But  you  are  looked  upon  as  holding  a  more 
important  position,  and  I  need  only  to  mention  it  so 
that  you  may  return  to  yourself.  You  will  not  shrink 
from  a  task  that  you  and  you  only  of  us  all  are  fitted 
for.  Nicolas  Herkimer  has  learned  that  negotiations 
are  taking  place  between  our  enemies  and  the  Onei- 
das;  that  they  are  only  delaying  their  attack  until  a 
treaty  is  concluded,  in  order  that  then  they  may  fall 
upon  us  with  resistless  power.  You  know  that  our 
holding  of  the  Oneidas  will  secure  to  us  the  other  na- 
tions on  the  lakes.  You  know  that  thus  far  they 
have  been  a  wall  to  us  behind  which  we  felt  measura- 
bly secure.  You  have  lived  for  years  with  the  Onei- 
das. You  speak  their  language ;  you  are  highly  re- 
spected by  them;  you  know  the  way  to  their  hearts. 
Now  then,  Conrad,  it  is  the  wish  and  will  of  Herki- 
mer, our  captain,  that  you  go  at  once  to  them,  and 
in  his  name,  and  in  that  of  the  governor,  assure  them 
of  the  yielding  of  all  points  lately  in  controversy  be- 
tween them  and  the  government  to  their  satisfaction, 
and  according  to  their  own  views,  if  they  will  abide  by 
the  old  protection  and  alliance  which  they  entered 
into  with  us — yes,  if  they  only  will  not  take  part 
against  us  in  the  present  war.  You  notice  and  under- 
stand the  proposition,  so  that  I,  a  man  little  accus- 
tomed to  such  things,  need  not  go  into  particulars. 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  I9I 

I  now  ask  you,  Conrad  Sternberg,  will  you,  as  is  your 
bounden  duty,  carry  out  the  orders  of  our  captain?" 

"It  is  too  late,"  said  Conrad,  with  broken  voice. 

"Why  too  late?" 

"What  you  fear  has  already  taken  place.  The 
Oneidas  have  joined  the  French  and  the  Onondagas. 
This  morning — yes,  an  hour  ago — I  could  yet  have 
gone  to  them  unobserved  to  bring  about  what  you 
propose.      Now  it  is  impossible." 

"How  do  you  know  it,  Conrad.?"  asked  the  minis- 
ter and  Aunt  Ursul,  as  if  out  of  the  same  mouth. 

"Come,"  said  Conrad. 

He  hung  his  rifle  over  his  shoulder,  and  now  walked 
before  them  both  diagonally  through  the  forest,  which 
was  constantly  becoming  lighter  until  the  tall  trees 
stood  singly  among  the  low  bushes.  Here  he  moved 
carefully  in  a  bent  posture  and  indicated  to  the  two 
by  signs  that  they  should  follow  his  example.  At  last 
he  fell  on  his  knees,  bent  a  couple  of  bushes  slowly 
apart,  and  winked  to  the  others  to  come  up  in  the 
same  way.  They  did  so,  and  looked  through  the 
opening,  as  through  a  little  window  for  observation  in 
a  door,  on  an  unusual  spectacle. 

Beneath  them,  at  the  foot  of  the  steep  mass  of 
rocks  on  the  edge  of  which  they  were,  there  spread 
out  a  broad,  meadow-like  valley,  which  on  the  oppo- 
site side  was  encircled  by  precipitous,  wood-covered 
rocks,  and  through  it  in  many  windings  a  creek  gently 
ran.     On  the  bank  of  the  creek  next  to  them  there 


192  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

was  a  space  covered  with  small,  canvas-walled  tents 
and  lodges,  standing  without  order.  Between  the 
tents  and  lodges  there  burned  a  couple  of  dozen  fires 
whose  rising  smoke,  glowing  in  the  evening  sun, 
spread  out  above  in  a  dark  cloud,  through  which  the 
scene  below  looked  more  phantasmal.  There  was  a 
mass  of  people  in  active  movement — French,  some 
regulars  and  some  volunteers,  many  without  any  dis- 
tinctive mark — and,  in  greater  number,  Indians,  whose 
half-naked  bodies,  adorned  with  variously  colored 
war-paint,  shone  in  the  light  of  the  sun.  The  groups 
on  the  bank  of  the  creek  stood  close  together,  and  it 
was  not  difficult  to  discover  the  reason.  On  the  other 
side,  the  band  of  Indians  there  gathered  must  have 
arrived  recently.  Some  were  engaged  in  putting  up 
their  wigwams,  others  were  kindling  fires.  The  most 
of  them,  however,  stood  at  the  edge  of  the  creek  talk- 
ing with  those  on  the  other  side.  The  creek,  of  mod- 
erate breadth,  had  washed  out  for  itself  a  deep  bed  in 
the  meadow-land,  with  steep  sides.  They  could  not 
well  come  together  without  bridges,  and  these  were 
hastily  made  for  the  occasion  with  tree-trunks,  while 
here  and  there  the  willful  or  eager  swam  across,  or, 
trying  to  jump  across  and  in  most  cases  falling  short, 
occasioned  every  time  shouts  of  laughter  among  those 
looking  on. 

With  beating  hearts  Aunt  Ursul  and  the  minister  in 
succession  observed  the  spectacle  which  had  to  them 
such  a  terrible  meaning.     Then  following  Conrad's 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  193 

whispered  request,  they  withdrew  as  carefully  as  they 
had  crept  up,    back   through    the    bushes  into   the 
woods. 

"How  many  are  there?"  asked  Aunt  Ursul. 

"Four  hundred  besides  the  Oneidas,"  replied  Con- 
rad. "The  Oneidas  are  quite  as  strong,  if  they  allow 
all  their  warriors  to  be  called  into  the  field.  I  have 
just  counted  two  hundred  and  fifty.  Anyhow,  the 
others  will  follow,  otherwise  they  would  find  no 
preparations  for  the  night." 

"But  will  they  go  on  at  once.^^"  asked  Aunt  Ursul. 

"Certainly,  for  they  know  that  the  hours  are  pre- 
cious. So  you  will  doubtless  by  to-morrow  noon  have 
them  on  your  necks." 

^''YouV  said  the  minister  impressively.  "You 
should  say  'We,^   Conrad." 

Conrad  did  not  answer,  but  went  silently  and  with- 
out turning  into  the  border  of  the  woods  far  enough 
from  the  edge  of  the  plateau  to  prevent  their  being 
seen.  After  going  about  two  hundred  steps  they 
came  to  a  place  where  there  was  a  deep  ravine,  which 
led  from  the  heights  above  by  a  sort  of  natural  rock- 
stairs  into  the  valley.  Above,  where  the  stairs  opened 
on  the  plateau,  there  was  a  narrow,  deep-cut  path 
entirely  blocked  by  a  cunningly  devised  obstruction  of 
tree-trunks,  stones  and  brush.  Other  stones,  some 
of  them  very  large,  were  pushed  so  close  to  the  sides 
of  the  ditch  that  with  a  lever,  or  perhaps  even  with 
the  foot,  they  could  be  slid  off  on  those  coming   up 


194  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

the  path.  It  looked  as  if  a  dozen  strong  men  must 
have  labored  for  days  to  perform  such  a  work.  Con- 
rad's giant  strength  accomplished  it  in  a  few  hours. 

"Here,"  said  he,  turning  to  his  companions  with  his 
peculiar  laugh,  "here  I  intended  to  wait  until  the  last 
stone  had  been  thrown  off  and  my  last  cartridge  had 
been  shot." 

"And  then.?"  asked  Aunt  Ursul. 

"Break  in  two  my  rifle  on  the  head  of  the  first  one 
that  should  come  up  into  the  narrow  path." 

"And  now.?"  asked  the  minister,  seizing  the  hand 
of  the  wild  man;  "and  now,  Conrad?" 

"Now  I  will  carry  out  the  orders  of  Herkimer." 

"For  God's  sake!"  cried  Aunt  Ursul.  "It  would 
clearly  be  your  destruction;  the  Onondagas,  your  en- 
emies, would  pull  you  to  pieces!" 

"Hardly,"  replied  Conrad.  "The  Oneidas  would 
not  consent  to  it — at  least  without  quarreling  and 
strife.  By  this  means  already  much  would  be  gained, 
and  thus  I  would  keep  them  back  longer  than  if  I 
opposed  them  here,  where  I  would  in  a  few  hours  be 
killed.  But  I  hope  it  will  come  out  better.  I  would 
already  have  gone  over  to  the  Oneidas  this  morning, 
when  they  lay  in  the  woods,  but  I  had  nothing  to 
offer  them.  Now  this  is  different.  Perhaps  I  may 
be  able  to  talk  them  over.  At  least  I  will  try.  Good- 
bye, both  of  you." 

He  reached  out  his  hands  to  them.  Aunt  Ursul 
threw  herself  into  his  arms  as  though  she  would  not 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  195 

again  let  her  beloved  young  man  be  separated  from 
her;  but  Conrad,  with  gentle  force,,  freed  himself  and 
said: 

"There  is  not  a  minute  to  be  lost.  I  must  make  a 
wide  circuit  in  order  to  come  from  the  other  side  into 
the  valley,  and  you  have  a  long  journey.  The  dog  I 
shall  take  along.  She  can  be  of  no  use  to  you  on  the 
way  home.  Can  you  find  the  way  without  her,  aunt.^ 
Now  then  good-bye;   good-bye  all!" 

"In  the  hope  of  again  seeing  you,"  said  the  minis- 
ter. 

Conrad's  face  was  convulsed  for  a  moment.  "As 
God  will,"  he  answered,  in  subdued  tones. 

The  next  minute  they  two  were  alone.  For  a  mo- 
ment they  heard  his  retreating  steps.  Then  all  was 
still. 

"We  shall  not  see  him  again,"  said  Aunt  Ursul. 

"We  shall  se,e  him  again,"  said  the  minister,  look- 
ing at  the  purple  clouds  shining  through  the  branches. 
"God  helps  the  courageous." 

"Then  he  will  help  him,"  said  Aunt  Ursul.  "A 
more  courageous  heart  than  that  of  my  young  man 
beats  in  no  human  breast.      God  be  gracious  to  him  !" 

"Amen!"  said  the  minister. 

They  turned  back  on  their  homeward  journey,  back 
through  the  primitive  forest,  over  which  now  the 
evening  shadows  were  fast  gathering. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

The  minister  had  not  deceived  himself  when,  at 
their  departure  from  the  block-house,  he  thought  he 
read  in  Lambert's  and  Catherine's  manner  that  they 
both  perceived  what  he  and  Aunt  Ursul  contemplated, 
in  spite  of  all  their  precautions.  Indeed,  while  Lambert 
was  guiding  the  labor  of  fortifying,  and  was  himself 
taking  an  active  hand  in  the  work,  his  mind  was  con- 
stantly oppressed  with  heavy  cares  about  Conrad. 
His  heart,  full  of  love,  and  needing  love,  could  not 
bear  the  thought  that  his  brother  should  be  so  un- 
happy while  he  was  so  happy — that  for  the  first  time 
he  could  not  give  the  best  part  of  the  sunshine  of  life 
to  him  for  whom  hitherto  no  sacrifice  had  been  too 
heavy.  No,  not  him  could  he  give — but  he  would 
give — not  for  all  the  world — not  for  his  soul's  salva- 
tion. Here  there  was  no  doubt — there  could  be  no 
doubt — for  this  would  have  been  the  basest  treachery 
toward  himself,  and  toward  the  dear  girl  who  had 
trustfully  given  him  her  pure  maiden  heart.  And  yet 
— and  yet — 

Catherine's  heart  was  scarcely  less  sad.  She  held 
Lambert  so  unspeakably  dear,  and  her  first  experi- 
ence must  be  that  she  was  bringing  to   her  beloved 

great  suffering  as  her  first  gift,     She  saw,  indeed,  no 

196 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  197 

mark  of  sorrow  in  the  countenance  of  the  precious 
man.  She  had  learned  too  well  to  read  those  smooth 
and  honorable  lines.  There  was  no  dark  cloud  on 
that  open  brow,  no  gloomy  falling  of  those  mild,  blue 
eyes,  no  sad  contortion  about  the  mouth,  which  oth- 
erwise so  readily  and  often  opened  in  friendly  smiles, 
but  which  was  now  closed  so  fast. 

Thus  they,  without  needing  to  speak  about  winning 
back  Conrad,  had  thought  and  brooded;  and  when 
Aunt  Ursul,  yesterday,  brought  in  the  minister,  and 
scarcely  left  the  good  man  time  to  sit  down  and  eat 
his  dinner,  but  soon  drove  him  up  again  and  with 
him  left  the  block-house,  and  a  few  minutes  after  re- 
turned and  called  Pluto  out,  as  though  she  no  longer 
placed  any  reliance  on  Melac,  her  watch-dog  at  home, 
Lambert  and  Catherine  gave  each  other  an  express- 
ive look,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  alone  fell  into 
each  other's  arms  and  said: 

"Perhaps,  perhaps  everything  will  come  out  right 
yet." 

However  sad  the  minds  of  the  lovers,  they  kept 
their  sadness  to  themselves;  and  the  rest  were  little 
inclined  to  trouble  themselves  about  an  anxiety  which 
was  so  carefully  concealed  from  them;  though  Rich- 
ard Herkinier,  Lambert  remembered,  had  said  it  was 
a  pity  that  Conrad  should  just  at  this  time  show  his 
folly.  The  others  had  spoken  in  a  similar  manner, 
but  with  that  on  their  part  the  matter  was  laid  aside. 
With  or  without   Conrad,  they  were  determined  to 


198  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

do  their  duty ;  and  this  certainty  raised  the  spirits  of 
the  brave  young  men  to  unwonted  courage.  One 
added  circumstance  gave  a  peculiar  impulse  to  this 
courageous  feeling  and  enabled  them  to  look  upon 
the  very  important  position  in  which  they  found 
themselves  in  an  entirely  poetic  light.  The  excellent 
young  men  were  all  quite  enchanted  with  Catherine's 
beauty  and  loveliness,  and  gave  to  this  enchantment 
the  most  harmless  and  delightful  expression.  If  Cath- 
erine at  the  table  said  a  friendly  word,  there  shone 
five  pairs  of  white  rows  of  teeth.  If  she  expressed  a 
wish,  or  only  indicated  one  with  her  eyes,  ten  hands 
were  stretched  out — ten  legs  began  to  move.  Wher- 
ever she  went  or  stood,  she  had  two  or  three  attent- 
ive listeners  at  her  side  who  watched  with  the  great- 
est eagerness  and  sought  to  anticipate  her  wishes.  It 
was  a  conviction  firmly  fixed  in  the  mind  of  each 
that  for  Catherine's  sake  they  were  willing  not  only 
to  be  killed,  but  to  die  in  the  most  barbaric  manner 
the  cruel  nature  of  the  Indian  had  discovered.  So, 
on  one  occasion,  when  Lambert  was  not  present,  in 
an  overflow  of  heroism,  on  Richard  Herkimer's  special 
suggestion,  they  all  five  had  agreed  and  had  shaken 
hands  on  it  and  promised  that,  whichever  of  them 
should  outlive  the  rest,  before  he  died  himself  he 
would  kill  Catherine,  so  that  she  should  not  fall  into 
the  enemy's  hands. 

This  agreement  of   tragic  sacrifice   did   not   in  any 
way  hinder  the  five  heroes  from  trying   their  wit  on 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  1 99 

each  other,  and,  together  with  their  sympathy  for 
the  beautiful  maiden,  to  tease  and  joke  each  other  in 
every  way.  Poor  Adam  had  to  suffer  the  most  from 
this  habit.  They  tried  to  convince  the  good  young 
man  that  Lambert  had  laid  away  a  bullet  which  was 
not  intended  for  the  French,  and  that  they  were  not 
surprised  that  Lambert  should  think  no  one  danger- 
ous to  him  besides  Adam.  Fritz  Volz  and  Richard 
Herkimer — that  he  well  knew  himself — had  already 
made  their  selection.  Jacob  Ehrlich  and  Anton  Bier- 
man  were  secretly  weeping  for  their  treasures  that 
they  had  left  on  the  Mohawk.  Adam  had  already  for 
years  been  gomg  about  like  a  roaring  lion  seeking 
whom  he  might  devour;  that  he  was  a  wandering  ter- 
ror and  a  constant  care  for  all  bridegrooms  and  un- 
married young  men;  that  the  others  had  been  com- 
manded to  come,  but  that  Adam  came  of  his  own  ac- 
cord; and  that  he  should  tell  them  to  what  end  and 
for  what  purpose,  as  he  stood  guard  last  evening,  he 
had  sung  so  sweetly:  "How  beautiful  shines  on  us 
the  morning  star,"  that  Catherine  had  cried  and  said: 
"Now  listen  to  Adam,  who  sings  sweeter  than  a  night- 
ingale." 

Adam  did  not  fail  to  reply  to  his  tormentors.  They 
should  only  concern  themselves  about  their  own 
affairs;  that  he  knew  what  he  was  about.  Then 
again,  in  a  weeping  tone,  he  would  beg  and  beseech 
the  friends  to  tell  him  truly  whether  Lambert  had  in- 
deed formed  such  a  shameful  purpose,  and  whether 


200  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

Catherine  had  really  found  and  declared  his  singing 
so  fine,  and  that  in  this  life  she  only  wanted  one  thing 
and  that  was  a  blonde  lock  from  the  head  of  the 
singer  to  take  with  her  into  the  grave.  The  friends 
swore  high  and  low  that  each  of  them  had  heard  it 
out  of  Catherine's  own  mouth,  and  that  each  of  them 
had  promised  to  fulfill  her  special  wish,  and  that 
Adam  should  now  freely  give  up  his  scalp-lock  before 
the  Indians  took  it  by  force  and  the  skin  with  it. 
Adam  resisted,  and  called  for  help  until  the  surround- 
ing space  resounded  with  shouts  and  laughter. 

It  was  in  the  afternoon  when  Lambert,  driven 
from  the  house  by  unrest,  walked  slowly  along  the 
bank  of  the  creek  up  toward  the  woods.  He  stopped 
a  moment  and  shook  his  head  as  the  noise  from  the 
house  struck  his  ear,  and  then  again  went  on.  They 
could  joke  and  laugh,  those  good  comrades,  in  this 
hour  of  sorrow  and  need,  which  oppressed  his  soul 
with  leaden  weight.  And  yet  they  well  knew  that 
this  hour  might  be  their  last.  They  also  had  parents 
at  home  and  sisters,  and  one  and  another  had  a  girl 
whom  he  loved,  and  the  life  of  these  people  also  hung 
on  the  cast  of  a  die.  But  then,  they  were  all  much 
younger  than  he,  and  took  life  so  much  lighter — as 
light  as  one  must  take  it  at  last  and  be  done  with  it 
so  as  not  to  sink  under  the  burden.  Was  he  not 
already  too  old  to  load  more  on  himself — he,  to  whom 
the  old  burden  was  already  so  heavy  to  carry.-*  How 
often  had  the  rest  jeered  him  on  this  account ;  called 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  20I 

him  Hans  the  dreamer;  using  as  a  by-word  when  any- 
thing more  serious  occurred:  "For  this  let  God  and 
Lambert  Sternberg  provide."  Yes,  indeed,  he  had 
learned  to  know  care  early  enough,  when  his  mother 
died  leaving  him  alone  with  his  peevish,  passionate 
father;  and  he  had  to  play  the  mediator  between  him 
and  the  wild  Conrad,  and  their  relatives  and  the  rest. 
And  then,  after  his  father's  death,  all  the  labor  for 
the  common  good  fell  upon  him,  if  there  was  any 
failure  on  the  part  of  the  neighbors.  So  he  had  al- 
ways labored  and  cared,  and  had  well  understood  this 
spring  that  he  must  undertake  the  difficult  and  re- 
sponsible mission  to  New  York.  He  had  undertaken 
it,  as  he  did  everything  which  was  too  burdensome 
for  others,  without  thinking  of  pay,  without  expect- 
ing the  thanks  of  those  who  had  given  him  their  com- 
mission Now  heaven  had  so  arranged  that  he  should 
find  her  from  whom  one  look,  one  word  was  pay  and 
thanks  for  all  that  he  had  done — for  all  that  he  had 
suffered.  The  pay  was  too  great,  the  thanks  were 
too  much.  He  had  perceived  this  from  the  begin- 
ning. Who  could  honorably  begrudge  him  his  unex- 
pected happiness,  obtained  after  fearful  misgivings.? 
Not  the  neighbors,  who  would  hardly  forgive  him  for 
preferring  a  stranger  to  their  daughters.  Not  Aunt 
Ursul,  who,  though  her  honest  and  righteous  dispo- 
sition strove  against  it,  yet  would  rather  see  Conrad 
in  his  place.  And  Conrad  himself — his  only,  his  be- 
loved brother — yes,  that  was  the  deepest  grief;  that 


202  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

was  the  drop  bitter  as  gall,  poured  into  the  sweet 
draught  of  love,  and  which  he  must  always  taste.  It 
ought  not  to  be  so.  If  this  should  not  be  so  what 
purpose,  what  meaning  had  the  rest  ?  Why  care  for 
a  future  that  could  no  more  bring  him  true  joy? 
Why  cling  to  a  life  that  had  become  so  burdensome 
to  him?  Why  undertake  the  heavy  conflict  that  was 
imminent?  Why  hope  to  come  out  of  this  battle  as 
victor?  There  the  grass  was  growing  m  his  fields. 
Must  it  be  trampled?  There  his  cattle  were,  wander- 
ing in  the  wilderness.  Must  they  fall  as  booty  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy?  There  stood  his  barn.  Must 
it  go  up  in  flames?  There  was  his  strongly  built 
house.  Must  he  and  she  be  buried  beneath  its  frag- 
ments ? 

Thus,  in  deep,  oppressive  anxiety,  Lambert  stood 
at  the  edge  of  the  forest,  looking  over  the  valley  that 
contained  his  home,  glittering  in  the  bright  sunlight. 
There  was  no  noise  in  the  wide  circuit  except  the 
buzz  of  insects  over  the  soft  bending  grass  and  flow- 
ers of  the  prairie,  and  an  occasional  bird-note  from 
the  branches  of  the  dark-green  pines  which,  motion- 
less, drank  in  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Was  then  every- 
thing which  had  passed  through  his  brain  a  heavy, 
fearful  dream,  out  of  which  he  could  wake  when  he 
pleased?  Was  the  signal  pile  there,  which  with  its 
smoke  and  fire  should  warn  the  rest  down  the  creek, 
erected  for  a  joke?  Did  Aunt  Ursul,  who,  full  of 
care,  had  the  evening  before  sent  Fritz  Volz  at  a  late 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  203 

hour  to  tell  them  that  she  had  certain  knowledge  that 
the  enemy  was  quite  near,  and  that  they  should  keep 
the  sharpest  watch — did  Aunt  Ursul  only  imagine  that 
it  was  so? 

There !  What  sound  was  that  which  that  instant 
struck  his  sharp  ear  out  of  the  woods?  There  was  a 
cracking  and  crushing  in  the  dry  branches  as  when  a 
deer  runs  with  full  speed  through  the  bushes.  No, 
it  is  not  a  deer.  He  now  clearly  heard  another  sound 
which  could  only  be  produced  by  the  foot  of  a  man 
running  for  his  life.  Nearer  and  nearer,  down  the 
creek,  down  the  steep,  stony,  bushy  path,  in  mad 
leaps,  as  when  a  stone  is  pushed  down  over  a  slope, 
came  the  runner. 

A  sudden,  joyful  fear  rushed  through  Lambert's 
soul.  In  all  the  world  but  one  foot  could  step  like 
that — his  brother's  foot.  In  breathless,  intense  emo- 
tion he  stands  there,  his  wildly  beating  heart  almost 
leaping  from  his  breast.  He  wishes  to  call,  but  the 
sound  sticks  in  his  throat.  He  tries  to  run  to  meet 
him,  but  his  knees  tremble  under  him.  At  the  next 
moment  Conrad,  breaking  through  the  bushes,  is  at 
his  side,  and  his  faithful  dog  with  mighty  leaps  comes 
with  him. 

"Conrad!"  cried  Lambert,  "Conrad!" 

He  rushed  to  his  brother  and  encircled  him  in  his 
arms.  All  that  had  just  now  troubled  him  so  dread- 
fully is  forgotten.  Now  come  what  will,  it  is  worth 
while  to  live,    and  also,  if  it  must  be,  to  die. 


204  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"Are  they  coming,  Conrad  ?" 
"In  one  hour  they  will  be  here!" 


CHAPTER  XV 

The  certainty  that  now  the  decisive  moment  had 
come,  and  the  joy  that  the  same  moment  had  brought 
back  his  brother,  again  gave  Lambert  a  touch  of  the 
peculiarities  on  account  of  which  young  and  old  val- 
ued and  praised  him — calmness,  circumspection,  con- 
fidence. Without  hesitating  a  moment  as  to  what 
was  next  to  be  done,  and  calling  to  his  brother  to 
notify  those  in  the  house,  he  hastened  across  the 
plank  over  the  creek  to  the  hill  yonder,  where  the 
signal  pile  had  been  erected,  which  from  there  could 
be  clearly  seen  from  Ditmar's  house  away  from  the 
creek.  A  minute  later  there  rose  from  the  lofty,  in- 
geniously constructed  wood-pile  a  dark  column  of 
smoke,  pushing  its  way  up  like  the  stem  of  a  mighty 
palm,  and  spreading  out  above  in  the  still  air  like  an 
immense  crown.  Then,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  down  the 
creek,  there  came  up  a  dark  cloud  of  smoke.  Uncle 
Ditmar  has  kept  good  watch.  The  signal  has  been 
answered  and  carried  farther.  In  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  they  will  also  know  on  the  Mohawk,  six  miles 
farther,  that  here  on  the  creek  the  enemy  has  broken 
in.     Then  back  over  the   creek — a  strong  push — the 

fastening  is  broken  off.     The  plank  floats  away. 

205 


206  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"Are  you  here  yet,  Conrad?  How  the  rest  will  re- 
joice!    Come!" 

Lambert  hastened  ahead.  Conrad  followed  with 
slow,  lingering  steps.  Was  it  fatigue  after  the  dread- 
ful running?  Had  the  blood  with  which  his  leathern 
jacket  was  dotted  spurted  from  his  veins? 

So  asked  Lambert,  but  received  no  answer.  And 
now  they  had  reached  the  temporary  bridge,  where 
the  friends  who  stood  on  the  wall  received  them  with 
loud  cheers.  Lambert  hastened  up  and  shook  the  hand 
of  each  brave  youth  with  heartfelt  joy.  Conrad  still 
lingered  at  the  foot  of  the  bridge.  His  face  was  pale, 
and  as  if  emaciated  with  bodily  pain,  or  an  inward 
conflict.  He  had  sworn  with  a  terrible  oath  that 
he  would  not  again  cross  the  door-sill  of  his  father's 
house,  or  his  blood  should  pay  the  forfeit.  The 
strong,  wild  heart  shrunk  together  in  his  breast.  His 
blood — why  should  this  trouble  him?  He  had  not 
spared  it.  He  had,  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ago  in  a  bat- 
tle which  he  alone  could  take  up — which  he  alone 
could  bring  to  a  happy  issue — put  it  at  hazard.  But 
his  word!  his  word!  that  he  had  never  yet  broken — 
which  he  now  shall  break — must  break,  as  his  clearer 
soul  tells  him — as  his  noble  heart  bids  him,  in  spite 
of  all. 

As  he  still  lingered,  Catherine  was  suddenly  stand- 
ing among  his  cheering  companions.  On  her  account 
had  he  renounced  his  father's  house.  As  if  blinded 
by  lightning  he  turned  away  his  gaze.     But  she  is 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  20/ 

already  at  his  side,  has  seized  his  hand  with  a  soft 
pressure  that  he  cannot  withstand,  leads  him  with 
gentle  force,  that  he  must  follow,  up  the  bridge,  over 
the  wall,  down  into  the  inner  yard,  where  his  com- 
rades, jubilant,  press  around  him,  and  at  the  same 
time,  with  a  sudden  impulse,  seize  him,  raise  him 
up  on  high,  and  with  jubilation  and  noise  carry  the 
fugitive — the  returned  one — into  the  house,  as  though 
they  would  with  bantering  cunning  drive  from  their 
prey  the  demons  lurking  about  the  door-sill. 

So  it  also  seemed  to  him.  Conrad  is  back,  the 
best  rifle  in  the  colony.  They  had  resolved  without 
Conrad  to  do  their  duty.  But  the  quick  looks,  the 
short  words  which  they  interchanged,  the  faces  illu- 
minated with  joy,  these  said  plainly,  "It  is  far  better 
so."  If  only  Aunt  Ursul  and  Christian  Ditmar  were  here 
the  dance  might  begin  at  once.  "They  could  be 
here  already,"  thought  Catherine.  "Hurrah!  there 
they  come!"  cried  Richard  Herkimer,  who  had  gone 
up  on  the  gallery  to  see  better;  "and  there  are  three. 
The  third  is  the  minister.  Hurrah!  and  again,  hur- 
rah!  and  once  more,  hurrah  P"^ 

Who  now  has  time  or  inclination  to  ask  the  breath- 
less ones  how  the  minister  came  to  be  here.'*  Enough 
that  they  are  here  at  the  right  time,  and  that  at  last 
the  bridge  can  be  thrown  off  and  that  the  door  can  be 
barricaded  with  the  strong  beams  lying  ready.  There 
they  now  are,  locked  in  their  wooden  fortress  in  the 
midst  of  the  wilderness,  miles  away  from  friends,  de- 


208  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

pending  solely  on  themselves,  on  their  firm  courage, 
on  their  strong  arms,  on  their  keen  eyes — two  wo- 
men, nine  men,  nine  rifles.  Though  the  minister  is 
not  to  be  counted,  as  he  would  not  know  how  to  use  a 
rifle  even  if  he  wished  to  fight,  yet  Aunt  Ursul  has  a 
rifle,  and  knows  how  to  use  it,  and  will  fight;  that  can 
be  depended  on. 

Now  the  parts  are  assigned  and  everything  and 
every  man  is  in  place.  In  one  division  of  the  lower, 
thoroughly  protected  room  is  Hans,  whom  Lambert 
will  not  sacrifice.  In  another  are  the  sheep,  which 
were  taken  in  out  of  compassion,  and  now  bleated 
piteously  in  the  darkness.  On  the  gallery  of  the  upper 
story,  behind  the  breastwork,  lay  Lambert,  Richard, 
Fritz  Volz,  Jacob  Ehrlich  and  Anton  Bierman,  with  the 
barrels  of  their  rifles  in  the  port-holes.  On  the  floor 
above,  at  the  trap-doors  of  the  high,  shingled  roof, 
stood  Conrad,  Aunt  Ursul  and  Christian  Ditmar, 
whose  far-carrying  rifle  was,  in  his  time,  the  dread  of 
the  enem3^  With  them  is  the  minister,  who, 
though  he  is  not  a  good  shot,  well  understands  how 
quickly  and  properly,  to  load  a  rifle.  This  service 
Adam  Bellinger  performs  for  those  on  the  gallery. 
Catherine  is  to  bring  food  and  drink,  when  necessary, 
to  those  who  are  to  fight.  Lambert  and  the  rest 
have  adjured  her  not  in  any  way  to  expose  herself  to 
danger.  She,  however,  secretly  purposed,  in  case  of 
need,  to  take  Adam's  rifle,  which  now  lay  idle,  and 
follow  Aunt  Ursul' s  example. 


THE  GERMAN   PIONEERS  209 

Silence  reigned  in  the  house.  Whoever  should  see 
it  standing  there,  still,  gloomy,  locked,  would  sup- 
pose it  forsaken  by  its  former  occupants — a  piece  of 
abandoned  property  in  the  all-embracing  wilderness. 
Silent  in  its  entire  circuit  lay  that  wilderness  under 
the  ban  of  the  hot  afternoon  sun.  Silent  was  the 
g[reen  prairie  on  which  scarcely  a  single  flower  bent, 
or  grass-stem  waved.  Silent  the  woods  whose  tree- 
tops  reached  up  unmoved  toward  the  blue  sky,  from 
which  several  white  clouds  looked  down  motionless. 
Deepest  silence!     Forest  stillness! 

There! — a  loud,  long  drawn-out,  many-voiced 
whoop,  whose  dreadful  echo  is  reflected  back  from 
surrounding  objects.  From  the  forest  break  forth  at 
once  fifty  half-naked  Indians  in  their  colored  war- 
paint, swinging  their  rifles  and  tomahawks,  and,  leap- 
ing forward  with  wild  jumps,  hastening  over  the  prairie, 
one  part  coming  directly  toward  the  block-house, 
the  other  going  around  so  as  in  a  short  time  to  rush 
up  from  all  sides.  The  house  stood  as  silent  as  be- 
fore. There  was  no  reply  to  the  demand  which  the 
on-rushing  enemy  kept  repeating  with  yells  and  cries 
and  whoops.  The  first  are  already  within  a  hundred 
paces — then  comes  the  answer,  a  short,  sharp  sound 
from  four  German  rifles  fired  at  the  same  moment, 
so  that  but  one  report  was  heard.  Four  Indians  fall 
not  to  rise  again.  The  others  run  on  more  rapidly, 
and  had  already  reached  the  surrounding  wall,  when 
again  is  heard  the  crack  of  four  rifles  and  again  four 


210  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

Indians  fall — one,  having  been  shot  through  the  heart, 
leapt  up  high,  like  a  deer. 

This  they  had  not  expected.  A  third  salvo  might 
follow  the  second,  and  there  yet  lay  between  them 
and  the  house  a  ditch  and  wall.  Who  could  tell 
whether  this  third  salvo  might  not  be  more  dreadful 
than  the  first  two.^  No  one  wants  it  tried.  In  a  mo- 
ment all  turn  and  run,  in  like  haste,  back  to  the 
woods,  which  they  had  not  reached  until  again  four 
shots  are  sent  after  them.  Two  more  sink  dead  at 
the  feet  of  the  French,  who  had  kept  concealed  in 
the  woods,  observing  the  bloody  spectacle  before 
them,  full  of  horror  and  compelled  to  confess  that  the 
first  attack,  which  they  had  cunningly  left  to  their 
Indian  allies,  had  altogether  failed. 

Yes,  the  first  attack  had  been  repelled.  Those  in 
the  block-house  shook  hands  with  each  other,  and 
then  again  grasped  their  freshly  loaded  guns.  One 
of  the  Indians  raised  up  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and 
again  fell  back,  and  then  again  raised  up.  Richard 
Herkimer  said:  "That  is  my  man.  The  poor  devil 
shall  not  be  in  pain  much  longer."  He  raised  his 
rifle  to  his  cheek,  but  Lambert  laid  his  hand  on  his 
shoulder  saying:  "We  shall  need  every  shot,  Richard, 
and  he  has  enough."  The  Indian,  in  a  death-cramp 
grasped  the  grass,  twitched  a  few  times,  and  then  lay 
rigid  like  the  rest  of  his  comrades. 

"What  will  happen  now.?  Will  they  seek  us  again 
in  the  same  way,  or  cbpose  sonie    other  mode  of  at- 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  211 

tack  ?  and  what  then  ?"  The  young  men  debated  the 
matter,  and  Aunt  Ursul,  who  had  come  down  from 
the  upper  floor,  joined  in  the  discussion.  Their 
views  were  divided.  Lambert  thought  that  they  had 
soon  enough  found  out  how  strong  the  fastness  was, 
and  how  much  they  must  sacrifice  in  this  most  dan- 
gerous pitfall  until  the  rest  should  actually  reach  the 
house.  It  also  appeared  how  large  the  number  was, 
since  thus  far  it  was  clear  that  they  had  had  to  do 
with  only  a  part,  and  that  their  principal  force  was 
still  in  the  woods. 

"Lambert  is  right,"  said  Aunt  Ursul.  "They  are 
one  hundred  and  fifty  strong — fifty  French  and  a 
hundred  Onondagas." 

"Ninety-two,"  said  Anton  Bierman,  "for  eight  lie 
there." 

Jacob  Ehrlich  usually  laughed  when  Anton  said 
something  witty.  This  time  he  did  not  laugh.  He 
was  silently  reckoning  how  many  Indians,  leaving  out 
the  French,  would  fall  to  his  share  if  there  really 
were  so  many.  Jacob  Ehrlich  could  not  make  out  the 
exact  number,  but  he  reached  the  result  that  under 
all  the  circumstances  it  would  be  hard  work. 

The  others  looked  inquiringly  at  Aunt  Ursul. 
That  the  report  came  from  Conrad  was  certain,  but 
how  had  he  learned  the  fact  ?  Aunt  Ursul  now  re- 
lated her  yesterday's  expedition  with  the  minister. 
But  thus  it  could  not  be  concealed  that,  without  her 
interference,  Conrad  would  not  now  have  been  here. 


212  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

But  about  this  she  did  not  wish  to  speak,  at  least  to- 
day. She  also  said  that  Conrad  had  found  and 
watched  the  camp  of  our  enemies;  that  he  had 
counted  them  head  by  head,  and  that  they  had  di- 
vided into  two  parts;  that  of  these  the  larger,  a  hun- 
dred French,  as  many  Onandagas  and  at  least  two 
hundred  Oneidas,  had  started  for  the  Mohawk,  and 
would  doubtless  already  have  arrived,  but  that  the 
Oneidas  had  no  heart  for  the  affair,  and  that  it  was  at 
least  possible  that  at  the  decisive  moment  they  would 
fall  away  and  go  over  to  their  old  treaty  friends. 

'"If  it  is  so,  we  can  also  reckon  on  help  from  my 
father,"  said  Richard  Herkimer. 

"We  will  reckon  on  nobody  but  ourselves,"  said 
Lambert. 

"What  are  the  fellows  up  to  now.?"  said  Anton 
Bierman. 

Out  of  the  woods  in  which  the  enemy  for  the  last 
half-hour  was  entirely  concealed  there  came  three 
men — one  Frenchman  and  two  Indians.  They  had 
laid  aside  their  arms.  Instead  of  them  they  carried 
long  rods  to  the  ends  of  which  white  cloths  were  tied. 
They  swung  the  rods  back  and  forth  and  made  the 
cloths  flutter.  So  they  came  up  slowly  as  though 
they  were  not  quite  sure,  and  wished  to  assure  them- 
selves whether  those  on  the  other  side  were  disposed 
to  regard  a  flag  of  truce.  Anton  Bierman  and  Jacob 
Ehrlich  felt  no  inclination  to  do  this.  They  thought 
that  the  scoundrels,  the  year  before,  had  never  shown 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  21 3 

mercy,  and  that  for  their  part  they  would  send  them 
to  the  devil  with  their  white  rags  and,  though  there 
were  but  three,  they  were  worth  three  charges  of 
powder.  Lambert  had  enough  to  do  to  hush  the 
excited  men,  and  to  make  it  clear  to  them  that  they, 
as  Germans,  should  not  be  the  first  to  do  that. 

Meanwhile  those  who  had  come  to  ask  a  parley 
had  approached  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
house.  Lambert  appeared  on  the  gallery,  after  he  had 
told  the  others  not  to  let  themselves  be  seen,  and 
called  out:     "Halt!" 

The  three  stood  still. 

"What  do  you  want.^" 

"Is  there  one  among  you  who  speaks  French .!*" 
asked  the  Frenchman  in  German. 

"We  speak  only  German,"  answered  Lambert. 
"What  do  you  want.^" 

The  Frenchman,  a  tall,  dark-complexioned  man, 
placed  himself  in  a  quite  theatrical  posture  while  he 
set  his  flag  of  truce  on  the  ground  with  his  left  hand 
and  raised  the  right  hand  toward  heaven,  and  called 
out: 

"I,  Roger  de  St.  Croix,  Lieutenant  in  the  service 
of  his  most  Christian  Majesty,  Louis  XV.,  and  com- 
mander of  his  majesty's  troops  here  present,  and  of 
the  allied  Indians  of  the  tribe  of  the  Onondagas, 
herewith  bring  to  your  knowledge  and  inform  you 
that,  if  you  at  once  and  on  the  spot  lay  down  your 
arms  and  give  yourselves  up  to  our  mercy  or  severity, 


214  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

% 

we  will  grant  life  to  you,  your  wives  and  children, 
nor  will  we  injure  you  in  your  possessions,  but  will 
leave  everything — house,  barn  and  cattle — unde- 
stroyed.  But  should  you  be  mad  enough  to  make 
further  resistance  against  the  formidable  power  of  six 
hundred  well-armed  and  disciplined  soldiers  of  his 
majesty,  and  as  many  more  brave  and  dreadful  In- 
dians, then  I  swear — I,  Roger  de  St.  Croix — that  not 
one  of  you  shall  get  away  with  his  life — neither  you, 
nor  your  wives,  nor  your  children — and  that  we  will 
level  with  the  dust  your  houses  and  barns,  so  that 
nobody  could  again  find  the  place  where  they  stood." 

The  man,  who  spoke  German  glibly  enough,  though 
with  a  French  accent,  had  spoken  louder  and  louder 
until  at  last  he  shrieked.  He  now  let  his  gesticulat- 
ing right  arm  fall  to  his  side  and  stood  there  in  an 
indifferent  attitude,  like  a  man  conducting  a  spiritless 
conversation  which  he  can  stop  or  continue  just  as 
the  other  may  prefer. 

"Shall  I  answer  for  you.?"  asked  Anton  as  he  struck 
his  rifle. 

"Still!"  said  Lambert,  and  then  raised  his  voice: 
"Go  back  to  your  people  and  tell  them  that  we  here, 
united  German  men,  one  as  all  and  all  as  one,  are 
resolved  to  hold  the  house,  come  what  will;  and  that 
we  are  quite  confident  that  we  can  hold  it,  even  if 
you  were  twelve  hundred  instead  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  counting  in  the  ten  already  lying  there." 

The  Frenchman  made  a  quick  motion  of  surprise, 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  21$ 

and  turned  to  his  attendants  who  had  been  standing 
there  without  altering  their  posture,  or  stirring.  He 
appeared  to  say  something  to  them  which  arrested 
their  attention.  Then  he  again  took  his  former  the- 
atrical posture  and  called  out: 

"From  what  you  last  said,  though  it  is  false,  I  infer 
that  there  is  with  you  a  certain  Conrad  Sternberg.  I 
promise  you  that  not  a  hair  shall  be  bent  and  a  hun- 
dred Louis  d'or  besides,  if  you  will  deliver  to  us  this 
Conrad  Sternberg." 

"The  man  of  whom  you  speak,"  replied  Lambert, 
"is  with  us,  and  you  have  already  twice  heard  the 
crack  of  his  rifle,  and  if  you  so  please  you  can  hear  it 
again." 

"But  this  Conrad  is  a  traitor,  who  has  cheated  us  in 
the  most  shameful  manner,"  cried  the  Frenchman. 

"I  am  no  traitor,"  called  Conrad,  who  now  stood 
beside  his  brother.  "I  told  you  I  would  escape  as 
soon  as  possible.  Since  you  this  time  thought  your 
six  could  hold  me  you  will  the  next  time  set  a  dozen 
to  guard  me." 

"The  next  time  I  will  begin  by  having  laid  at  my 
feet,  first  your  scalp  and  then  your  head,"  cried  the 
Frenchman  in  loudest  tones. 

"Enough!"  called  Lambert.  "I  give  you  ten  min- 
utes to  get  back  into  the  woods.  He  of  you  who 
then  yet  lets  himself  be  seen  outside  does  it  at  his 
peril!" 

The  Frenchman  doubled  up  his  fist,  and  then  be- 


2l6  THE   GERMAN   PIONEERS 

thought  himself  as  to  what,  under  all  circumstances, 
a  Frenchman  owes  himself  against  German  block- 
heads, and  taking  off  his  large,  three-cornered  hat, 
made  a  low  bow,  turned  on  his  heel,  and  walked  at 
first  slowly,  then  faster  and  faster  toward  the  woods, 
until  he  fell  into  a  regular  trot,  evidently  to  spare  the 
Germans  the  shame  of  shooting,  after  the  ten  minutes 
had  elapsed,  at  the  messenger  of  his  Most  Christian 
Majesty. 

"Lord  of  my  life!"  cried  Anton.  "Now  I  first 
know  him.  That  is  the  same  fellow,  Jacob,  who 
three  years  ago  came  to  us  begging,  and  who  after- 
ward hung  about  the  neighborhood  half  a  year.  He 
called  himself  Mr.  Emil,  and  said  that  he  had  shot  a 
comrade  in  a  duel  and  had  on  that  account  to  flee. 
But  others  claimed  that  he  was  an  escaped  galley- 
slave.  Afterward  he  wanted  to  marry  Sally,  Joseph 
Kleeman's  black  girl,  but  she  said  she  was  too  good 
for  a  fellow  like  that,  and  Hans  Kessel,  Sally's  treas- 
ure, once  pounded  him  as  limber  as  a  rag,  after 
which  he  disappeared.  Lord  of  my  life !  He  gives 
himself  out  here  as  a  lieutenant,  and  speaks  of  his 
Most  Christian  Majesty,  and  is  willing  to  leave  us  our 
dear  lives — the  mean  plate-licker,  the  gallows-bird!" 

So  honest  Anton  scolded  and  abused,  and  asserted 
that  if  he  did  not  get  this  Mr.  Emil,  or  Saint  Croix, 
or  whatever  the  fellow's  name  was,  in  front  of  his 
rifle,  to  him  the  whole  sport  would  be  spoiled. 

The  rest  would  gladly  have  known  what  Conrad  had 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  21/ 

before  had  to  do  with  the  French,  but  their  curiosity 
remained  unsatisfied,  for  Conrad  had  immediately 
again  gone  up,  and  soon  the  attention  of  the  besieged 
was  directed  to  another  side.  From  the  barn-yard 
arose  a  column  of  smoke,  which  every  moment  be- 
came thicker  and  blacker,  until  the  flames  burst 
forth  from  the  mass.  The  enemy  had  made  his  threat 
true.  It  seemed  to  be  a  useless  barbarity,  for  the 
barn  was  too  far  from  the  block-house  for  the  flames 
to  leap  across,  though  the  wind,  which  now  began  to 
rise,  was  blowing  toward  the  house,  driving  along 
smoke  and  sparks.  But  this  whole  war  was  only  a 
continuous  chain  of  such  barbarities.  This  morning 
Lambert  had  mentally  seen  what  he  now  actually 
saw.  He  had  wrought  all  this  with  his  own  hands, 
which  now  the  more  firmly  grasped  the  barrel  of  his 
gun.  Then  there  cracked  a  shot  above  and  another, 
and  Aunt  Ursul  called  down  the  stairs:  "Be  watchful! 
Eyes  left!     In  the  reeds!" 

The  meaning  of  these  words  and  of  the  shots  fired 
from  above  soon  became  clear.  The  attention  of  the 
besieged  had  not  been  uselessly  directed  to  the  land 
side.  In  the  thick  sedge  and  reeds,  of  man's  height, 
with  which  the  shores  of  the  creek  were  overgrown, 
one  could  come  from  the  woods  within  a  hundred 
paces  of  the  house.  It  was  a  difficult  undertaking, 
for  the  ground  was  a  bottomless  bog  as  far  as  the 
reeds  grew,  and  where  they  ended  the  creek  was  deep 
and  rapid.     But  they  had  ventured  to  do  it,  and  it 


2l8  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

soon  appeared  with  what  result.  From  among  the 
reeds  here  and  there  shots  were  soon  being  fired  with 
increasing  rapidity.  There  must  indeed  have  been 
a  considerable  number  who  had  came  by  that  danger- 
ous way,  and  had  concealed  themselves  along  the 
shore  in  spite  of  all  that  those  in  the  house  could  do 
to  free  themselves  from  neighbors  so  unwelcome  and 
dangerous. 

Wherever  an  eagle-feathered  head  or  a  naked  arm 
showed  itself,  or  the  barrel  of  a  gun  glistened,  yes,  if 
the  sedge  only  moved,  a  bullet  struck.  But  though 
a  few  dead  bodies  floated  down  the  creek,  others  lay 
dead  or  wounded  among  the  rushes  and  others  still 
had  sunk  in  the  morass,  the  remaining  number  was 
so  great  and  the  daring  enemy  was  so  embittered  by 
his  heavy  losses,  it  seemed  that  the  worst  must  and 
would  come.  Besides,  the  evening  wind  kept  increas- 
ing, causing  the  tops  of  the  rushes  to  wave  hither  and 
thither,  so  that  it  was  difficult  and  often  impossible 
to  follow  the  movements  of  the  unseen  enemy,  and 
many  a  precious  charge  was  wasted.  This  evidently 
made  the  attacking  party  more  bold.  The  fire-line 
was  constantly  receding  from  the  shore.  The  more 
frequent  bullets  rained  against  the  breastwork  and 
roof.  It  might  be  expected  at  any  moment  that  a 
rush  would  be  made  from  the  reeds  and  that,  having 
rapidly  run  across  the  short  distance  that  still  sepa- 
rated them  from  the  house,  they  would  attempt  to 
storm  it. 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  219 

But  it  soon  became  manifest  that  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  house  they  were  by  no  means  wiUing  to  set 
the  decision  of  the  day  on  a  single  card.  Suddenly, 
at  the  edge  of  the  woods,  there  began  to  be  a  stirring 
and  a  moving  as  if  the  forest  itself  had  become  alive. 
Broad  shields  of  man's  height  cunningly  contrived 
out  of  pine  branches  were  pushed  out  or  carried,  one 
could  not  tell  which,  in  a  connected  Hne  over  the 
smooth  level  meadow  toward  the  house.  The  prog- 
ress was  slow,  but  onward,  until  they  had  approached 
within  rifle  shot,  and  then  the  marksmen  behind  the 
shields  opened  a  lively  fire.  The  shields  were  indeed 
no  sure  protection  for  the  attacking  party,  but  they 
made  the  aim  of  the  beleaguered  more  difficult,  and 
moreover  compelled  them  to  be  more  watchful,  and 
to  direct  their  rifles  toward  two  sides  at  once. 

But  the  oncoming  foe  had  not  yet  exhausted  his 
ingenuity.  From  the  barn-yard,  where  everything 
was  entirely  burned  down,  they  at  the  same  time 
came  rolling  before  them  Lambert's  large  casks,  and, 
as  soon  as  they  were  .near  enough,  they  set  them  up 
and  so  made  a  wall  that  could  every  moment  be  shoved 
farther,  and  offered  a  much  more  sure  protection  than 
the  pine-branch  shields.  Anton  Bierman  had  laughed 
loudly  when  he  saw  the  casks  coming  toward  the  house, 
but  after  he  had  fired  at  them  a  few  times,  clearly 
without  effect,  he  laughed  no  more,  but  said  softly  to 
his  friend  Jacob:     "Things  begin  to  look  serious!" 

It  was  indeed  serious.     So  far  no  one  had  received 


220  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

apparent  injury,  except  that  one  and  another  was 
Jbadly  cut  by  splinters  torn  from  the  breastwork  by 
bullets,  and  bled  profusely.  But  the  battle  had  now 
lasted  for  three  hours.  It  was  a  warm  piece  of 
work,  under  the  June  sun,  and  the  cheeks  of  the 
fighters  glowed,  and  the  barrels  of  their  guns  were 
hot.  Furthermore,  many  an  eye,  when  it  could  turn 
away  a  moment  from  the  unaccustomed  bloody  work 
toward  the  sun,  had  observed  with  care  how  rapidly 
it  had  been  sinking  during  this  hour  which  would  not 
end — how  low  it  already  stood.  So  long  as  its  light 
lasted  a  handful  of  men  might  keep  up  the  doubtful 
strife  against  a  crafty,  cunning  enemy  far  outnumber- 
ing them,  and  leave  it  undecided.  But  how  soon  the 
sun  would  set,  and  when  it  did,  and  darkness  came 
on,  it  would  cover  the  valley  for  hours  with  an  im- 
penetrable veil,  since  now  the  moon  did  not  rise  till 
after  midnight ;  and  under  the  protection  of  the  night 
and  of  the  fog  the  enemy  could  slip  up  and  storm  the 
place.  True  the  beams  of  the  lower  story  were  thick 
enough,  and  the  only  door  was  barred,  but  a  dozen 
axes  could  in  a  short  time  break  in  the  door  and, 
however  thick  the  beams,  they  could  not  withstand 
fire.  Then  the  beleaguered  would  have  no  choice 
but  to  give  their  living  bodies  to  the  flames,  or  with 
their  arms  in  their  hands  try  to  open  a  way  from  the 
closely  surrounded,  burning  house.  And  even  then 
their  destruction  was  sure.  Whoever  was  not  killed 
at  once  would,  on  account  of  the  number  of  the  pur- 
suers, be  overtaken  and  brought  down. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  221 

Such  was  the  situation.  It  could  not  be  doubtful 
either  to  the  besieged,  or  besiegers,  who  had  long 
been  convinced  that  the  house  was  defended  by  no 
more  than  ten  rifles.  But  however  much  this  cer- 
tainty may  have  raised  their  desire  to  fight  and  their 
thirst  for  vengeance,  the  courage  of  those  in  the  block- 
house remained  unbroken.  Nobody  thought  of  flight, 
which  was  indeed  impracticable;  nor  of  surrender, 
which  equally  meant  a  painful  death.  All  were  re- 
solved to  defend  themselves  to  the  last  breath,  and 
sooner  to  kill  themselves,  or  each  other,  than  to  fall 
alive  into  the  hands  of  the  cruel  enemy. 

Lambert  and  Catherine  had  already  before  said 
this  to  each  other,  and  during  the  battle  they  had 
more  than  once  signaled  the  death  covenant  to  each 
other  with  silent,  intelligent  glances.  But  the  cour- 
ageous girl  was — not  only  to  her  lover — like  a  banner 
which  waves  before  the  bold  soldier  in  battle  and  on 
which  his  eyes  rest  with  an  enthusiasm  that  over- 
comes death  Whoever  looked  at  the  pale,  still,  de- 
termined, restlessly  helpful  maiden,  drank  from  a 
spring  of  courage  and  strength,  so  that  his  fearful 
heart  beat  higher  and  his  tired  limbs  were  again 
strengthened.  To  the  commands  constantly  repeated 
from  the  first:  "Stay  away,  Catherine!  Don't  stand 
there,  Catherine!"  she  paid  no  attention.  Where 
she  knew  she  was  needed,  there  she  was;  above  with 
the  men  under  the  hot  roof;  below  with  those  on  the 
gallery,  giving  one  a  drink;   taking  a  discharged  rifle 


222  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

from  the  hands  of  another;  giving  to  another  a  gun 
that  she  herself  had  loaded.  She  had  also  learned 
quickly,  as  she  learned  everything  on  seeing  it,  that 
Adam  Bellinger,  though  he  reasonably  exerted  him- 
self and  the  sweat  ran  in  streams  from  his  forehead, 
was  not  equal  to  his  task,  and  that  the  marksmen 
often  called  in  vain  for  their  guns. 

So  she  was  again  occupied  in  the  inner  room  when 
Aunt  Ursul,  Conrad,  old  Christian  and  the  minister 
came  down  from  above,  while  also  those  in  the  gal- 
lery stopped  shootmg  and  it  became  still  outside. 

"What  is  going  on?"  asked  Catherine. 

"They  are  about  to  visit  us  with  a  second  storm- 
ing party,"  said  Lambert,  coming  m  from  the  gallery. 
"It  is  well  that  you  have  come  down.  Every  man  of 
us  must  now  be  on  the  gallery.  We  shall  soon 
enough  have  them  under  us." 

Others  also  came  in  to  hear  what  would  happen. 
They  were  assembled  in  full  count. 

"I  think,"  said  Lambert,  "we  had  better  not  shoot 
until  they  are  on  the  wall,  for  now  they  will  not  turn 
back  again,  and  then  we  have  eight  of  them  sure. 
Afterward  five  of  us  will  give  attention  to  the  others, 
while  the  rest  put  a  stop  to  the  work  of  the  scoun- 
drels below  us.     Are  the  rifles  all  loaded.?" 

"Here!"  and,  "Here!"  said  Catherine  and  Adam, 
handing  out  the  last  two  rifles. 

It  so  happened  that  the  two  were  Lambert's  and 
Conrad's  rifles.     As  they  both  at  the  same  time  came 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  223 

up  it  was  not  by  mere  chance  that  both  took  their 
guns  with  the  left  hand,  for  at  the  next  moment  their 
right  hands  clasped,  and  thus  they  stood  before  Cath- 
erine, who,  blushing  deeply,  took  a  step  back,  fearing 
that  her  nearness  should  anew  break  the  bond  of  the 
brothers.  But  the  minister  laid  his  hand  on  the 
hands  of  the  brothers  as  they  held  each  other  with  a 
firm  grasp,  and  said:  "As  these  two  who  had  for  a 
moment  lost  each  other,  and  in  the  hour  of  danger 
have  again  found  each  other,  to  be  and  to  remain,  in 
life  and  in  death  and  in  eternity  united,  so  let  us  all, 
dear  brothers  and  sisters,  thank  and  praise  God  that 
we  here  stand  together  so  united,  and  that,  in  this 
solemn  hour,  which  according  to  all  human  calcula- 
tion is  our  last,  we  are  fulfilling  the  chief  command- 
ment, and  are  loving  one  another.  Since  life  can 
offer  us  nothing  greater  than  this,  though  we  should 
live  a  thousand  years,  let  us  without  murmuring  take 
our  departure  from  this  dear  life.  We  do  not  give  it 
up  lightly.  We  have  defended  it  as  well  as  we  could. 
But  we  are  only  flesh  and  blood,  and  this  our  for- 
tress is  wood.  God,  however,  who  made  us  in  his 
own  likeness  and  breathed  his  breath  into  us — God  is 
a  spirit  and  a  strong  tower." 

As  the  minister  uttered  the  word,  then,  as  though 
the  Spirit  to  whom  they  were  praying  had  inspired  it, 
the  sentiment  it  awakened  passed  through  the  little 
assembly  and  Luther's  battle-hymn  sounded  forth  as 
if  from  one  mouth: 


224  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

A  Strong  tower  is  our  God — 

A  good  defense  and  armor; 

He  keeps  us  free  in  every  need 

Which  us  has  yet  befallen; 

The  old  and  angry  fiend, 

Earnestly  he  means, 

Great  might  and  much  craft 

His  dreadful  armor  is. 

On  earth  there's  nothing  like  him. 

With  our  own  might  nothing's  done; 
We  surely  are  quite  helpless; 
There  fights  for  us  the  very  Man, 
Whom  God  himself  has  chosen. 
Ask  you  who  is  He? 
He's  called  Jesus  Christ, 
The  Lord  Sabaoth, 
There  is  no  other  »God; 
The  field  he'll  not  surrender. 

And  were  the  world  of  devils  full, 
Would  they  us  wholly  swallow. 
So  fear  we  not  so  very  much; 
We  yet  shall  surely  prosper. 

There  they  were,  on  every  side,  as  though  the 
creek  and  the  prairie  and  the  woods  had  spit  them 
out  at  once.  They  came  on  in  wild  leaps,  swinging 
axes  and  guns  and  brush-bundles.  French  and  In- 
dians, hunters  and  dogs,  rushed  on  to  battle.  In  a 
moment  they  flew  across  the  narrow  intervening 
space,  down  into  the  ditch,  up  the  wall,  in  frenzied 
motion,  digging  with  their  nails,  one  on  another's 
shoulder,  up,  up. 

Up  but  not  over — at  least  not  the  first. 

As  soon  as  a  head  emerged  from  behind  the  wall,  a 
pair  of  elbows  put  firmly  on  it,  a  breast  exposed, 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  22$ 

came  the  deadly  bullet,  and  the  venturesome  enemy 
fell  back  into  the  ditch.  This  fate  befalls  the  first, 
the  second,  the  third  and  the  fourth.  The  fifth  at 
last  succeeds  and  the  sixth;  and  now  half-a-dozen  at 
once,  and  at  another  point  also  a  couple.  These  are 
enough.  The  object  is  gained.  Words  of  command 
are  called  out.  Those  who  are  still  on  the  other  side 
of  the  wall  retire,  forming  about  the  house  in  a  dou- 
ble circle  and  continually  firing.  Again,  and  then  for 
the  last  time,  to  rush  forward  so  soon  as  those  who 
had  pressed  to  the  house  should  have  finished  their 
work. 

It  will  to  all  appearance  soon  be  finished.  Sharp 
axes  cut  down  the  door.  The  ax-swingers  under- 
stand their  work.  They  have  before  opened  breaches 
in  many  a  barricaded  house.  And  those  on  the  other 
side,  toward  which  the  wind  was  blowing,  understood 
their  business  equally  well.  They  have  often  before 
placed  a  firebrand  against  a  house  they  could  not 
otherwise  take.  Those  above  shot  well  through  the 
round  holes  in  the  bottom  of  the  gallery,  and  one  or 
two  of  those  below  must  pay  for  their  bravery  with 
their  lives.  But  the  others  are  covered,  and  the  rain 
of  bullets  which  pours  upon  the  house  divides  the 
force  of  the  besieged  who  must  turn  to  every  side  at 
once.  Yet  a  few  strokes  and  the  door  lies  in  frag- 
ments and  out  of  the  thick  smoke  which  comes  up 
over  there  the  flame  will  soon  burst  forth. 

The  beleaguered  know  it.     An  attempt  to  avert  the 


226  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

threatened  danger  must  be  made.     They  must  risk  a 
sally.     Two  of  them  must  do  it.     Which  two.? 

"I!"  called  out  the  brave  minister.  "Why  is  it 
not  suitable  for  me .?" 

I!"  cried  Conrad.  "This  is  my  business!" 
Conrad's  and  mine,"  said  Lambert  with  deter- 
mined voice,  "and  no  one  else.  Away,  the  rest  of 
you,  to  your  posts.  You,  Richard  and  Fritz,  guard  the 
door.  Here  are  the  two  axes;  and  now,  in  God's 
name — " 

The  beams  which  bar  the  door  are  taken  away  so 
as  to  uncover  a  strong  plank,  fitting  closely  into  the 
opening  and  against  which  the  blows  from  without 
are  directed,  the  door  having  been  shattered.  The 
last  beam  is  drawn  away;  the  plank  falls;  the  breach 
desired  by  the  besiegers  is  made,  and  out  of  the 
breach  rush  Lambert  and  Conrad  side  by  side,  old 
Christian  Ditmar  swinging  aloft  an  ax  with  his  nerv- 
ous arm  and  crying:     "Here!     Germany  forever!" 

It  is  the  first  word  that  has  to-day  fallen  from  his 
lips,  and  it  is  his  last  for  to-day  and  forever.  Pierced 
at  once  with  three  bullets,  cut  and  crushed  by  a  dozen 
knife  cuts  and  ax-blows  he  falls,  but  his  big-hearted 
purpose  is  attained.  He  broke  the  first  onset  of  the 
attacking  party.  He  made  a  way  for  the  two  young 
men  behind  him.  They  rushed  into  this  passage-way. 
Nothing  can  withstand  Conrad's  giant  strength.  His 
blows  fall  like  hail.  He  rages  among  the  crowd  like 
a  jaguar  among  sheep.     Yes,  it  is  a  jaguar  that  has 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  22/ 

come  among  them — the  great  jaguar,  as  they  call 
him  at  the  lake,  who  had  already  torn  so  many  of  the 
tribe  of  Onondagas.  They  are  willing  to  fight  with 
the  devil  himself,  but  cannot  bear  to  look  at  the  flam- 
ing eyes  of  the  great  jaguar.  They  rush  away  toward 
the  wall,  over  the  wall,  into  the  ditch,  followed  by 
Conrad.  Lambert,  who  had  already  pulled  apart  the 
burning  pile  of  wood,  called  after  him  that  he  should 
go  no  farther  but  come  back,  for  the  others,  who  had 
seen  the  shameful  flight  of  their  comrades,  now  di- 
rected their  fire  at  the  two.  Bullet  after  bullet  strikes 
the  wall  near  Lambert.  It  is  a  wonder  that  he  is  yet 
uninjured;  yes,  that  he  is  alive.  But  he  does  not 
think  of  himself.  He  only  thinks  of  his  lion-hearted 
brother.  He  rushes  toward  the  raging  one,  who  is 
fighting  near  the  wall  with  three  Indians,  the  last 
within  the  enclosure.  They  shall  not  get  over  it  again. 
He  seizes  one,  whirls  him  on  high  and  dashes  him 
against  the  wall  where  the  unlucky  fellow  lies  with  a 
broken  neck.  The  two  others  improve  the  moment 
and  climb  over  the  wall.  One  of  them,  before  sliding 
down  into  the  ditch,  discharges  his  gun. 

"Come  in,  for  God's  sake,  Conrad!"  called  Lam- 
bert. He  seizes  Conrad  by  the  hand  and  dragfs  him 
away.  They  had  reached  the  door  when  Conrad 
staggered  like  a  drunken  man.  Lambert  caught  him 
about  the  body. 

"It  is  nothing,  dear  brother,"  said  Conrad  and 
straightened  himself  up.     But   in   the   door   he   fell 


228  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

down.  A  stream  of  blood  gushed  from  his  mouth 
and  moistened  the  door-sill  which  he  had  sworn  never 
again  to  cross  without  the  shedding  of  his  blood. 

The  door  is  again  barred  more  strongly  than  before. 

The  fire  that  Lambert  had  pulled  apart  wastes 
away  powerless  at  the  base  of  the  house.  The  house 
is  saved;  but  how  long.^^  The  little  company  that 
guards  it  is  poorer  by  two  fighting  men.  The  rest, 
exhausted  by  their  frightful  labor,  are  more  dead  than 
alive.  The  ammunition  is  used  up  to  within  a  few 
charges,  and  the  sun  pours  its  last  red  rays  over  the 
lonely  battle-field  in  the  midst  of  the  surrounding  for- 
est. *  In  a  few  minutes  it  will  go  down.  Night — the 
last  night — will  come  on. 

"Your  brother  is  dead,"  said  the  minister  to  Lam- 
bert. 

"He  has  gone  before  us,"  said  Lambert.  "Stay 
near  me,  Catherine." 

The  minister  and  Catherine  had  been  occupied  be- 
low with  Conrad.  The  minister  was  skilled  in  the 
healing  art,  but  here  his  skill  could  accomplish  noth- 
ing. Conrad  had  opened  his  beautiful  blue  eyes,  with 
a  bewildered  look,  but  once.  They  for  a  moment 
became  bright  and  clear,  as  he  saw  Catherine's  face 
through  the  mist  of  death.  Then  he  lay  still  with 
closed  eyes.  There  was  deep  peace  in  the  yet  wild 
and  battle-angered  face.  He  breathed  but  once 
again.  Then  his  head  sunk  to  one  side  as  if  he  were 
now    sleeping    quietly.     The  sun  sinks  behind  the 


I'HE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  229 

forest,  spreading  its  blood-red  evening-light  over 
those  on  the  gallery. 

"On  what  do  the  fellows  wait?"  asked  Jacob  Ehr- 
lich. 

"Eternity  will  be  long  enough  for  you,  fool,"  re- 
plied Anton  Bierman. 

"If  father  means  to  send  us  succor  he  must  be  quick 
about  it,"  said  Richard  Herkimer,  with  a  sad  smile. 

"Hurrah!  hurrah!  and  again  hurrah!"  cried  Adam 
Bellinger,  who  now  rushes  down  the  stairway  and 
dances  about  like  a  crazy  person,  and  then,  crying 
loudly,  falls  into  the  minister's  arms. 

"Poor  boy!  poor  boy!"  said  the  minister. 

Lambert  went  round  to  the  other  side  of  the  gal- 
lery, from  which  one  could  look  down  the  creek  to 
the  edge  of  the  woods  where  the  road  makes  a  turn 
and  then  disappears  to  reappear  for  a  short  distance 
a  little  further  on.  On  this  side  and  on  that  there 
was  nothing  in  the  road.  The  slight  hope  which  had 
kindled  in  Lambert's  breast  was  at  once  extinguished. 
Sadly  he  shook  his  head. 

And  yet,  what  sound  is  that.^  Lambert  clearly 
hears  a  dull,  strong  sound,  while,  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, the  noise  of  the  enemy  is  stilled.  The  sounds 
become  heavier  and  stronger.  Lambert's  heart  beats 
as  though  it  would  split. 

Suddenly  there  came  around  the  corner  of  the 
woods  one,  two,  three  riders  in  full  run  and  a  mo- 
ment later  a  large  company;  twenty,    thirty  horses, 


230  THE   GERMAN   PIONEERS 

under  whose  hoofs  the  ground  trembles.  The  riders 
swing  their  rifles  and  "Hurrah!  hurrah!"  sound  forth 
so  that  Lambert  hears. 

He  hastens  to  his  comrades.  "Have  you  all  loaded.^ 
Then  up  and  out !  Now  it  is  our  turn.  Now  we 
will  drive  them!" 

A  sharp  pursuit — a  wild  pursuit  on  the  darkening 
prairie  after  the  French  and  Indians,  who  in  frenzied 
flight  rush  toward  the  woods  while  German  rifles 
crack  after  them. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

It  was  during  the  fifth  summer  after  these  events 
that  the  August  sun,  which  rose  above  the  woods  in 
beaming  glory,  brought  the  Germans  on  the  creek, 
on  the  Mohawk  and  on  the  Schoharie,  a  joyful  day. 
To-day  bison  and  deer  might  go  their  way  through 
the  primitive  forest  unmolested.  The  hunter  drew 
the  charge  out  of  his  rifle  and  put  into  it  a  large  load 
of  loose  powder.  To-day  cattle  and  sheep  were  left 
to  themselves  in  the  pasture-fields.  The  herdsman 
had  brushed  his  Sunday-coat  clean,  and  had  stuck  a 
large  bunch  of  flowers  in  his  hat.  To-day  there  was 
rest  from  pressing  labor,  in  field  and  mart.  The  farm- 
er, much  as  he  had  to  do,  the  herder,  the  hunter, 
and  all  the  world,  young  and  old,  men,  women  and 
children,  were  to  keep  a  great  holiday — a  great,  won- 
drous, fine  peace-festival.  For  there  was  again  peace 
on  earth — which  had  drunk  the  blood  of  her  children 
in  streams  for  seven  long  years.  Peace  over  in  the  old 
home;  peace  here  in  the  new  one.  There  the  hero 
of  the  century,  old  Fritz,  the  great  Prussian  king, 
was  done  with  his  enemies,  and  had  sheathed  his 
sword.     So  here  too  the  battle-ax  could  be  buried. 

During  the  last  years  it  had  indeed  become  dull 

enough.      Since,    in  the    spring   of   'fifty-eight,  the 

231 


232  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

attack  of  the  French  and  Indians  had  been  so  bravely 
resisted  by  the  Germans,  they  had  made-  no  further 
invasion  across  the  border,  protected  as  it  was  by 
such  a  warlike  race.  As  now  Fort  Frontenac  had 
fallen  and  Quebec  was  surrendered  the  following  year. 
England's  great  victory  was  won,  and  what  yet  fol- 
lowed were  only  the  flying  sparks  and  the  last  flicker- 
ing of  a  great  conflagration.  But  for  a  German 
shingle  or  straw  roof  sparks  are  also  dangerous,  and 
the  master  of  the  house  had  yet  constantly  gone  to 
bed  burdened  with  anxiety,  and  the  next  morning 
went  to  his  labor  with  his  rifle  on  his  shoulder  Now 
the  last  trace  of  uncertainty  had  disappeared,  and  the 
bell  in  the  little  church  sounded  out  "Peace,  peace," 
over  sunny  fields  and  still  woods. 

Out  of  the  woods  and  over  the  fields  they  came  in 
festive  groups,  on  foot,  on  horseback,  young  and  old, 
adorned  with  flowers,  sending  friendly  greetings  from 
afar,  heartily  shaking  each  other's  hands  if  they  hap- 
pened to  meet  at  the  crossroads;  engaging  in  friendly 
conversation  as  they  went  through  the  smiling  valley 
between  the  Mohawk  and  the  creek  toward  the  hill  on 
which  the  church  stood,  which  to-day  could  not  hold 
all  who  came  with  pious  thankfulness. 

"But  God  does  not  dwell  in  temples  made  by  hu- 
man hands.  He  is  clothed  with  light.  Heaven  is  His 
throne  and  the  earth  is  His  footstool."  That  is  the 
text  of  the  sermon  which  the  worthy  minister,  Rosen- 
krantz,  to-day  delivers  to  his  congregation,  gathered 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  233 

around  him  in  a  wide  circle  under  the  bright  sky  and 
on  the  green  earth.  In  words  that  fly  on  eagle's  wings 
over  the  assembly  he  praises  the  great,  good  God,  on 
whom  they,  in  their  need,  had  called,  and  who,  out 
in  the  wild  woods  and  on  the  lonely  prairie,  had  de- 
livered them  from  danger.  He  calls  to  remembrance 
those  who  had  fallen  during  the  war,  and  says  that 
not  in  vain  did  they  shed  their  precious  blood  for 
house  and  home  in  which  man  must  live,  that  in  the 
circle  of  his  own  family,  at  his  own  hearth,  he  may 
show  the  virtues  of  love,  of  helpfulness  and  patience, 
and  live  according  to  the  image  of  Him  who  made 
him.  He  declares  that  those  who  survive  are  called 
and  chosen,  after  the  fearful  labor  of  the  war,  to  the 
valuable  works  of  peace,  and  that  all  hatred  and  quar- 
reling and  envy  and  strife  must  henceforth  be  ban- 
ished from  the  congregation,  otherwise  the  dead  would 
rise  and  complain  and  ask:     "Why  did  we  die.?" 

More  than  once  the  voice  of  the  minister  trembled 
with  deep  feeling.  He  had  gone  through  it  all  him- 
self. Every  word  came  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart 
and  so  it  reached  the  heart.  There  was  scarcely  one 
of  the  assembled  hundreds  whose  eyes  remained  free 
from  tears;  and  when  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced, that  the  Lord  who  had  now  so  evidently 
let  the  light  of  His  countenance  fall  on  them  and  had 
given  them  peace,  might  also  further  bless  and  pre- 
serve them  and  give  them  peace.  Amen!  the  word 
touched    every   heart,     and    hundreds  of  voices   re- 


234  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

sponded:  "Amen!"  "Amen!"  as  the  wind  roars 
through  the  tops  of  the  trees  of  the  forest.  Then  the 
roaring  grew  louder  and  mightier,  as  it  spread  in 
sacred   accord   over  the   sunny  fields    in   the  hymn. 

"Now  let  us  all  thank  God." 

Then  they  retired  stiller  than  they  came. 

But  the  festival  of  peace  should  also  be  one  of  joy, 
and  there  were  with  the  old  far  too  many  who  were 
young  to  keep  in  their  joy  very  long.  At  first  a  few 
lively  words  were  jokingly  interchanged.  Then  a 
lusty  fellow  had  a  funny  conceit  which,  in  that  beau- 
tiful, bright  sunshine,  he  could  not  possibly  keep  to 
himself.  The  old  smiled.  The  young  men  laughed. 
The  girls  giggled.  The  laughter  and  the  joyfulness 
were  so  inspiring  and  communicative  that  the  guns 
went  off  as  if  of  themselves,  and  an  hour  later  one 
who  did  not  know  better  might  have  thought  that 
Herkimer's  house,  which  the  French  had  not  ventured 
to  attack  in  the  frightful  years  of  '57  and  '58,  was 
being  stormed  on  the  festival  of  peace  by  German 
young  men. 

This  indeed  was  unnecessary.  Nicolas  Herkimer's 
large  and  hospitable  house  had  to-day  all  its  doors 
opened  wider  than  usual,  for  men  and  women — for 
all  who  lived  on  the  Mohawk,  on  the  creek  and  on  the 
Schoharie — for  all  that  were  German,  or  that  were 
ready  to  rejoice  with  the  Germans — all  were  invited, 
and  were  welcome  to  drink  of  Nicolas  Herkimer's 
beer  and  eat  of  his  roast,  and,  happy  with  the  joyful, 


THE   GERMAN    MONEERS  235 

help  to  celebrate  the  great  festival.  As  all  had  been 
invited  so  nobody  stayed  at  home,  unless  it  might  be 
a  mother  who  could  not  leave  her  children  alone, 
or  one  to  whom  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  come. 
Big  John  Mertens  had  come,  and,  simpering,  mingled 
with  the  guests,  his  thumbs  in  the  pockets  of  his  long 
vest,  except  when  he  drew  somebody  aside  secretly  to 
ask  him  if  it  was  not  very  nice  in  John  Mertens  that 
he  gave  precedence  to  Nicolas  Herkimer,  and  that  he 
did  honor  to  his  festival  by  his  presence;  that  he 
could  just  as  well  entertain  such  a  multitude  of  guests 
and  perhaps  a  little  better.  Hans  Haberkorn  was 
there,  and  acted  very  modestly  and  reminded  one 
and  another  that  he  had  then  already  said  that  three 
ferries  across  the  river  were  not  too  many.  Now 
there  were  six  ferrymen  and  all  made  a  good  living. 
Some  thought  that  Hans  Haberkorn  talked  in  that 
way  because  he  was  oj^ving  Nicolas  Herkimer  every 
cent  that  the  ferry  and  beer-house  were  worth,  and  a 
couple  of  hundred  dollars  besides.  But  who  had 
time  now  to  investigate  such  things? 

Surely  not  the  young  men  and  maidens  who,  on 
the  level  ground  adjoining  the  house,  beneath  the 
shadow  of  an  immense  basswood  tree,  were  cease- 
lessly swinging  in  the  dance  to  the  stirring  music  of  a 
violin,  two  fifes  and  a  drum.  Parents  and  old  peo- 
ple, who  sat  under  the  long,  projecting  roof  where  it 
was  cool,  and  thoughtfully  emptied  one  pitcher  after 
another,  had  also  something  better  for  their  enter- 


236  TH£   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

tainment.  They  remembered,  as  to-day  they  well 
might,  what  they  themselves  had  suffered  in  the  home 
across  the  sea,  or  had,  at  least,  been  told  by  the 
father,  or  the  grandfather — how  the  bitter  enemy,  the 
Frenchman,  had  scorched  and  burned,  up  and  down 
the  beautiful  green  Rhine,  and  how  their  own  lord 
by  his  servants  had  seized  what  the  French  had  left, 
so  that,  in  his  grand  castles,  he  with  his  courtiers 
might  gormandize  and  have  brilliant  feasts  and  great 
hunts,  while  the  poor  farmers,  oppressed  by  service 
and  burdens  of  every  kind,  were  starving  of  sheer 
hunger.  And  also  the  priesthood  and  the  tithes  and 
other  endless  miseries  of  the  holy  Roman  empire  of 
the  German  nation.  Yes,  yes,  it  had  looked  badly 
over  there,  and  though  since  the  great  king  of  Prussia, 
old  Fritz,  had  intervened  and  had  followed  bravely 
on  his  crutch,  it  was  a  great  deal  better,  yet  one  could 
live  here  freer  and  better,  if  one  considered  it  well, 
being  under  no  lord;  and  the  minister,  though  all 
were  not  like  Rozenkrantz,  would  allow  one  to  talk 
with  him  and  a  man's  life  could  be  joyful,  especially 
now  that  the  Frenchman  has  crept  into  his  hole  and 
the  war  is  at  an  end. 

Then  they  talked  about  the  war.  That  was  an  in- 
exhaustible subject.  In  that  everybody  had  taken 
part — had  himself  fought  and  had  his  part  to  tell — 
his  altogether  peculiar  experiences,  which,  if  to  no 
one  else,  at  least  to  the  narrator  were  of  deep  inter- 
est.     They  recalled  the    chief  events   of   the   war, 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  237 

wherein  all  agreed  that  the  interest  was  supreme. 
These  were  recounted  a  hundred  times  and  were 
gladly  repeated  once  more,  and  which  clothed  them- 
selves in  a  wonderful  garb,  though  the  eye-witnesses 
were  yet  for  the  most  part  alive. 

Of  these  peculiarly  noteworthy  events,  none  was 
more  remarkable  than  the  battle  at  Sternberg's  house 
in  the  year  '58.  And  when  the  deed  had  been  told 
that  nine  men  had  for  six  or  seven  hours  resisted  one 
hundred  and  fifty  well-armed  enemies,  incredible  as 
it  was,  there  was  that  in  the  history  which  gave  it  for 
the  moment  a  romantic  color,  even  in  the  eyes  of  the 
indifferent.  The  quarrel  of  the  brothers  over  the 
beautiful  maiden,  who  was  now  the  handsomest  wife 
in  the  whole  district;  the  reconciliation  of  the  broth- 
ers in  the  last  hour,  and  the  succeeding  heroic  deaths 
of  Christian  Ditmar  and  of  Conrad  Sternberg — the 
oldest  and  the  youngest  of  the  company — and  both 
dying  so  nobly  that  one  could  not  do  better  than  to 
follow  them,  as  Aunt  Ursul  said,  when  they  were 
both  laid  in  the  cool  earth.  Yes,  she  had  soon 
enough  followed  them — the  wonderfully  brave  souls 
— she  who  was  so  rough,  while  her  heart  was  so  soft 
that  she  did  not  want  to  live  longer,  nor  could  she 
without  her  husband,  with  whom  she  had  spent  forty 
years  in  joy  and  sorrow — but  mostly  in  sorrow — and 
without  her  wild,  strong  and  last,  but  perhaps  most 
dearly  beloved  son.  Yes,  yes,  that  he  was,  to  Aunt 
Ursul — the   Indian,  and,    as  they  already  before  had 


238  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

called  him  and  still  called  him  at  the  lake,  the  great 
jaguar — Conrad  Sternberg,  wild  and  strong.  Were 
he  still  living  Cornelius  Vrooman,  from  Schoharie, 
would  not  have  carried  off  the  victory  away  from  the 
young  men  on  the  Mohawk.  What  Cornelius  did 
was  indeed  no  small  matter,  to  draw  a  sleigh  by  the 
tongue,  standing  in  the  sand,  loaded  with  twelve 
heavy  men,  half  a  foot  from  its  position.  Conrad 
would  have  drawn  the  sleigh  five  feet  with  Cornelius 
on  his  shoulders.  Yes,  yes,  Conrad  Sternberg  was 
endowed  with  superhuman  strength.  Would  he  other- 
wise have  been  able  to  overcome  twenty-four  Indians 
who  had  already  pressed  forward  to  the  house?  And 
was  it  not  more  than  human  courage  for  him,  whom 
every  Onondaga  had  sworn  to  kill,  notwithstanding 
to  go  to  their  camp  and  set  the  Onondagas  and  Onei- 
das  against  each  other  and  both  against  the  French 
and  then  to  deliver  himself  up  to  the  Onondagas,  as 
they  insisted  on  it  that  they  might  feel  assured,  and 
to  tell  them  that  he  would  stay  with  them  as  long  as 
they  could  hold  him;  and  the  simpletons,  who  might 
have  known  better,  had  thought  that  six  men  were 
sufficient  for  this,  and  had  placed  the  six,  with  Conrad 
as  guide,  in  the  van.  Yes,  he  had  showed  them  the 
way  there  whence  none  of  them  would  return.  So 
had  he  protected  the  Sternberg  house,  and,  if  one 
correctly  considered  it,  all  the  houses  on  the  creek 
and  the  Mohawk,  since  the  Oneidas  went  back,  and 
the  French  and  Onondagas  might  be  glad  that  they 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  239 

had  not  in  the  evening  been  followed  more  sharply, 
since  half  of  the  cavalry  had  been  sent  to  relieve  the 
Sternberg  house.  Yes,  that  was  a  man,  that  Conrad, 
the  Hke  of  whom  would  probably  never  again  appear 
among  them — a  Samson  among  the  Philistines,  "who 
slew  them  with  the  jaw-bone  of  an  ass,"  as  the  min- 
ister to-day  said,  in  his  sermon,  though  he  did  not 
mention  Conrad's  name.  The  minister  himself  knew 
how  to  tell  about  it,  for  he  was  there  and  could 
say  more  if  he  would;  but  he  said  no  more  about  it, 
as  soon  as  he  came  in  his  discourse  to  the  chapter. 
Now,  perhaps  a  servant  of  peace  should  not  be  blamed 
if  he  did  not  wish  to  remember  that  he  had  laid  low 
six  Indians  that  day  with  his  own  hand.  In  their 
gossiping  exaggeration  and  envy  they  proceeded  to 
add  that  if  Lambert  Sternberg  seldom  speaks  of  his 
brother  he  may  possibly  have  his  grounds,  since  many 
suspect  that  Catherine  loved  Conrad  better  than  him, 
and  that  Lambert  Sternberg,  in  spite  of  his  comforta- 
ble condition — since  he  is  now  also  Aunt  Ursul's  heir 
— and  in  spite  of  his  handsome  wife  and  beautiful 
children,  is  the  unhappiest  man  in  the  whole  valley. 

"Be  still!  There  comes  Lambert  with  Herkimer; 
and  what  peculiar  little  fellow  have  they  forked  up.»*" 

Nicolas  Herkimer  and  Lambert  Sternberg  ap- 
proached these  confident  dividers  oi  honors,  whose 
conversation  had  just  taken  so  interesting  a  turn,  and 
introduced  to  them  Mr.  Brown,  of  New  York,  who 
in  Albany,  where  he  had  business,  had  heard  of  the 


240  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

peace-festival  on  the  Mohawk,  and  as  he  was  a  friend 
of  the  Germans,  had  at  once  decided  to  come  up  and 
help  them  celebrate  the  day. 

The  honor-conveyers  welcomed  the  stranger,  and 
said  that  it  was  a  great  honor  which  they  knew  how 
to  prize,  and  asked  whether  Mr.  Brown  and  Lambert 
— Herkimer  had  already  gone  away — would  not  sit 
down  at  their  table  and  empty  a  glass  to  the  well-be- 
ing of  his  majesty  the  king.  Mr.  Brown  was  ready 
for  this,  and  also  drank  to  the  welfare  of  the  Ger- 
mans, but  then  left,  with  the  promise  that  later  he 
would  come  again  with  Lambert;  that  he  wished  first 
to  look  about  a  little  over  the  place  where  the  festival 
was  being  held. 

Mr.  Brown  had  not  made  the  long  journey  from 
New  York  to  Albany  and  from  Albany  here  merely  on 
his  own  business,  nor  out  of  pure  sympathy  with  the 
Germans.  He  came  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Govern- 
ment, which  had  at  last  comprehended  the  value  of 
the  German  settlements  on  the  Mohawk,  and  further 
up  toward  the  lake,  and  had  formed  the  earnest  pur- 
pose to  advance  them  as  far  as  possible.  Mr.  Brown, 
being  peculiarly  fitted  to  further  this  end  on  account 
of  his  long  business  intercourse  with  the  Germans, 
was  intrusted  with  this  mission. 

He  was  to  communicate  with  the  leading  Germans, 
such  as  Nicolas  Herkimer  and'  Lambert  Sternberg, 
and  take  their  proposals  into  consideration.  To  this 
end  he  had  held  a  long  conference  with  Nicolas  Her- 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  24 1 

kimer,  and  now  imparted  his  views  to  his  younger 
friend  while  walking  with  him  about  the  place.  Lam- 
bert attentively  listened  in  silence.  It  did  not  occur 
to  him  that  the  Englishman  had  in  reality  the  inter- 
ests of  his  nation  in  his  eye  when  he  spoke  of  the  ad- 
vantages which  should  grow  out  of  it  all  to  the  Ger- 
mans.    Nor  did  Mr.  Brown  deny  it. 

"We  are  a  practical  people,  my  dear  young  friend," 
said  he,  "and  do  nothing  for  God's  sake.  Business 
is  business;  but  this  is  an  honorable  one — I  mean 
one  by  which  both  sides  are  the  gainers.  Naturally 
you  will  at  first  serve  as  a  dike  and  a  protecting  wall 
against  our  enemies,  the  French.  You  will  help  ex- 
tend and  establish  our  control  of  the  continent  which 
will  yet  come  to  us.  But  if  you  so  pull  the  chestnuts 
out  of  the  fire  for  us  will  not  the  sweet  fruits  be  just 
as  good  for  you  ?  When  you  strike  for  King  George 
do  you  not  just  as  well  fight  for  your  own  house  and 
home.-*  What  then,  man.!*  So  long  as  one  does  not 
stand  firm  in  his  own  shoes  one  must  lean  against 
others.  See  that  you  Germans  reach  a  position  so 
that  you  can  enter  the  market  of  the  world,  dealing 
for  your  own  advantage  and  in  view  of  your  own  dan- 
ger. You  will  have  to  be  satisfied  either  to  be  taken 
in  tow  by  us,  or,  if  you  prefer,  be  road-makers  and 
pioneers  for  us." 

The  earnest  man  had,  according  to  his  custom,  at 
last  spoken  very  loud,  and  with  it  gesticulated  with 
his  little  lean  arms,  and  thrust  his  Spanish  cane  into 


242  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

the  ground.  Now  he  looked  around  frightened, 
grasped  Lambert  under  the  arm,  and,  while  he  let 
himself  be  led  farther  away,  proceeded  in  a  more 
gentle  manner  and  in  lower  tones: 

"And  now  I  will  intrust  you  with  something,  my 
young  friend,  which  I  would  not  for  all  the  world 
should  come  to  Mrs.  Brown's  ears,  and  which  also, 
on  your  own  account,  you  may  keep  to  yourselves. 
You  remember,  Lambert,  how  five  years  ago,  you 
were  in  New  York,  and  we  stood  on  the  quay  and  saw 
your  country  people  leave  the  ship,  poor  simpletons! 
It  rained  powerfully,  and  the  dismal  scene  did  not  by 
this  means  become  brighter.  Well,  this  morning, 
while  we  were  here  wandering  about,  I  have  been 
constantly  forced  to  think  and  have  said  to  myself: 
What  immeasurable  life-vigor  must  stick  in  this  race, 
which  needs  but  a  single  life-time  to  change  from 
half-starved,  shy-looking,  all-enduring  slaves,  into 
lusty,  broad-shouldered,  independent  freemen.  How 
immeasurably  must  such  a  race  have  suffered  to  sink 
so  deep!  How  high  it  must  rise  when  these  sufferings 
are  removed;  when  its  good  instincts  are  left  to  them- 
selves; when  fortune  permits  it  freely  to  unfold  its 
great  strength  which  slumbers  hidden  and  is  yet 
scarcely  waked  up!  How  high  it  must  ascend!  How 
wide  it  must  spread!  What  is  beyond  its  reach.^  Do 
not  laugh  at  me,  my  young  friend.  I  tremble  when 
I  think  of  it — when  I  think  what  a  host  like  this,  as 
yet  without  leaders,  only  subject  to  the  law  of  gravity, 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  243 

can  overcome — must  overcome — when  it  has  learned 
to  take  care  of  itself;  to  lead  and  to  march  in  rank 
and  file.  However  this  may  be,  so  much  is  already 
clear  to  me;  you  who  here  stand  on  the  borderare 
evidently  now  our  vanguard.  You  prepare  your 
countrymen  a  way.  You  are  truly  German  pioneers. 
But  again,  not  a  word  of  this  when  you  this  fall  come 
to  New  York.  My  neighbors  already  call  me  'the 
Dutchman'  and  Mrs.  Brown  will  not  again — Well,  as 
we  are  now  speaking  of  the  women,  where,  then,  is 
your  wife,  with  whom  you  at  that  time  so  hastily 
went  away.^  I  think  I  will  to-morrow  lay  claim  to 
your  guest-friendship  for  a  day,  and  so  would  be  gladly 
introduced  to  my  beautiful  entertainer." 

"My  wife,"  said  Lambert,  "is  not  here.      She — " 

"I  understand,  I  understand,"  interrupted  the  talk- 
ative old  man.  "Little  household  events  happen  in 
the  best  of  families.      I  understand." 

"Now,"  said  Lambert,  laughing,  "our  youngest  is 
already  half-a-year  old,  and  my  wife  was  unwilling 
longer  to  stay  away  from  the  children;  and  besides, 
this  joyous  day  is  also  one  of  sorrowful  thoughts  to 
my  family." 

"I   know,    I   know,"    said    the    old    man.       "Your 

brother — we  heard  of  it  in  New  York.     What  do  you 

want,  man.^     Your  brave  deed  is  in  the  mouth  of  the, 

people.     The  ballad  singers  sing  it  on  the  streets:" 

"A  story,  a  story, 
Unto  you  I  will  tell, 
Concerning  a  brave  hero — " 


244  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

"I  should  say,  two  brave  heroes.  But  the  people 
like  to  keep  to  one.  You  must  tell  me  all  this  cir- 
cumstantially when  I  come  to  your  house  to-morrow." 

"This  I  will  cheerfully  do,"  replied  Lambert,  "and 
so  I  will  to-day  take  my  leave  of  you.  The  sun  is 
already  low,  and  I  would  lil^e  to  be  home  in  good 
time." 

Lambert  took  the  old  man  to  the  giver  of  the  feast, 
who  sent  his  hearty  compliments  to  his  wife,  and 
promised  to  come  with  the  guest  to-morrow,  to  have 
farther  consultation,  and  to  visit  his  daughter-in-law 
on  the  way,  who  had  already  fourteen  days  ago  pre- 
sented him  with  a  grandson.  Richard,  after  Aunt 
Urusl's  death,  had  bought  the  property  from  Lam- 
bert, and  was  now  his  nearest  neighbor.  Richard 
came  up  and  proposed  to  accompany  Lambert. 
Fritz  and  August  Volz  would  probably  also  have  done 
this,  but  their  wives  did  not  yet  want  to  leave  the 
festival,  which  was  now  at  its  highest  point.  And 
then  the  women  had  taken  it  into  their  heads  that 
this  was  the  day  on  which  their  brother  Adam  must 
lose  his  long-maintained  freedom  and  lay  it  down  at 
the  feet  of  Margaret  Bierman,  Anton  Bierman's  sis- 
ter. Adam  came  up.  His  eyes  were  red.  He  no 
longer  stood  quite  firm  on  his  long  legs.  He  put  his 
arms  around  Lambert,  and  assured  him  with  hot  tears 
that  a  man  has  but  one  heart  to  give  once  for  all,  but 
that  if  it  was  necessary  for  Lambert's  comfort — a 
necessity  that  he  fully  understood — to  follow  Jacob 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  245 

Ehrlich 's  example,  given  a  short  time  before,  he  would 
marry  a  Bierman  even  if  a  man  has  but  one  heart,  and 
Margaret  didn't  sound  half  as  nice  as  a  certain  othei: 
name,  that  should  not  cross  his  lips,  "for  a  man  has 
but  one  heart  and  his  heart — " 

Here  came  Anton  Bierman  and  his  brother-in-law 
Jacob  to  fetch  the  faithless  knight,  and  Anton,  who 
had  overheard  the  last  words,  assured  Lambert  that 
Adam  was  a  perfect  fool,  though  at  bottom  a  good- 
hearted  and  brave  fellow,  and  that  the  old  Bellingers 
had  left  behind,  besides  the  visible  property,  a  nice 
round  sum,  and  that  if  his  sister  Gretchen  was  willing 
he  was  satisfied.     What  did  Lambert  say  to  it? 

Lambert  said,  that  he  had  always  given  Adam  that 
advice  and  would  also  do  it  under  present  circum- 
stances; and  to  the  same  effect  he  spoke  to  Richard 
Herkimer  as,  two  hours  later,  they  two  trotted  up 
the  creek. 

"Adam,"  said  he,  "is  not  so  great  a  fool.  The  fel- 
low has  mother  wit  enough,  and,  if  he  can  be  easily 
teased,  so  his  antagonists  for  the  most  part  do  not 
escape  without  some  scratches.  He  is  also  brave, 
when  he  must  be.  That  he  showed  at  that  trying 
time  in  the  block-house.  In  wedlock  one  must  be 
brave.  Therefore  I  always  advise  to  found  a  new 
home  when  it  is  suitable.  And  then,  Richard,  the 
German  only  increases  when  he  has  his  own  hearth, 
when  he  can  care  and  work  for  house  and  home,  for 
wife  and  child.     So  I  salute  the  smoke  that  rises  from 


246  THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS 

a  new  hearth  like  a  banner  about  which  will  gather 
a  group  of  German  pioneers,  as  Mr.  Brown  calls 
them,  who  lead  forward  the  host  that  shall  come 
after  us." 

Richard  looked  at  his  companion  with  some  aston- 
ishment. Lambert  had  always  so  few  thoughts  and 
words.  He  would  have  liked  to  ask  whether  Lam- 
bert expected  to  be  one  among  the  coming  host,  but 
they  had  just  reached  his  house,  and  Lambert  bade 
him  give  his  compliments  to  Annie,  pressed  his  hand 
and  trotted  away. 

Yes,  Lambert  always  had  but  few  thoughts  for  oth- 
ers, but  not  for  Catherine.  He  could  tell  her  every- 
thing that  his  warm  heart  suggested  and  about  which 
his  ever  active  mind  was  busy.  She,  the  handsome, 
good,  intelligent  one  understood  it,  felt  as  he  did,  and 
often  made  things  clear  that  he  could  not  himself  see 
through.  What  would  she  say  to  the  proposition 
that  Mr.  Brown  had  made  to  him.^  "On,  Hans,  old 
fellow,  yet  a  little  trot." 

Hans  was  satisfied.  The  five  years  had  not  weak- 
ened his  strength.  He  could,  if  a  long,  sharp  trot  was 
necessary,  yet  make  a  round  of  ten  miles  with  any 
horse. 

But  this  time  the  well-known  endurance  of  the. 
active  horse  was  not  put  to  the  test.  He  had  scarcely 
trotted  two  hundred  yards  and  was  beginning  to  enjoy 
it,  when  his  master,  with  a  sudden  jerk,  held  him  up, 
and  at  the  next  moment  sprang  out  of  the  saddle. 


THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS  247 

"Catherine!" 

"Lambert!"  / 

"How  are  the  children?" 

"All  well.  Conrad  did  not  want  to  go  to  bed  be- 
fore he  had  seen  you." 

"And  little  Ursul?" 

"To-day  got  her  third  tooth." 

"And  little  Catherine.?" 

"Sleeps  wonderfully." 

They  walked  on  along  the  bank  side  by  side,  lead- 
ing Hans  by  the  bridle. 

"Are  you  yet  thinking  about  it.?"  said  Catherine. 

Lambert  did  not  need  to  ask  about  what  he  should 
be  thinking.  One  does  not  forget  things  like  that. 
It  seemed  as  though  it  had  occurred  but  yesterday. 

And  yet  there  had  been  great  changes  since  that 
evening.  Where  they  then  walked  along  the  seldom- 
trodden  meadow-path  they  now  went  through  waving 
grain  fields  on  a  well-beaten  road  in  which  a  deep, 
firm  wagon-track  was  cut.  There  were  fields  with 
suitable  buildings  in  all  directions,  as  far  as  the  edge 
of  the  woods,  which  in  many  places  had  been  cleared 
far  back.  Where  portions  of  the  old  wood  pasture 
showed  themselves  between  the  cultivated  fields, 
there  large  gates  had  been  put,  over  which  here  and 
there  a  colt  or  a  heifer  coming  up  looked  with  large, 
languid  eyes,  while  farther  on  in  the  pasture  the  rest 
were  feeding  in  the  rank  grass.  On  through  mead- 
ows and  fields  were  seen  the  shingle  roofs  of  large 


248  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

farmsteads,  beside  which  the  old  barns  which  had 
been  burned  down  would  have  looked  very  mean. 
On  the  place  where  the  block-house  was,  there  now 
stood  forth  a  stately  stone-house  in  whose  gable  the 
windows  were  glowing  in  the  evening  sun. 

Yes,  there  have  been  great  changes  since  that  even- 
ing which  to  Lambert  seemed  like  yesterday,  as 
though  he  had  never  lived  without  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren. 

They  had  put  Conrad  to  bed,  and  Catherine  with 
her  soft  voice  had  sung  the  wild  boy  to  sleep,  while 
the  other  two  little  ones,  with  their  red  cheeks,  were 
slumbering  quietly  in  their  beds.  They  sat  before 
the  door  in  the  honeysuckle-arbor,  through  which 
the  soft,  summer  evening  wind  was  murmuring. 

Lambert  told  his  wife  the  events  of  the  day,  and 
about  Mr.  Brown,  and  they  discussed  Mr.  Brown's 
plan  of  extending  the  German  settlements  farther  up 
the  creek,  over  to  the  Black  River — if  possible  to 
Oneida  Lake — and  that  Mr.  Brown,  Nicolas  Herki- 
mer and  himself  were  to  buy  the  land,  and  that  he 
was  to  be  the  leader  arid  patron  of  the  new  settlers. 
He  also  told  Catherine  what  the  old  man  had  said 
about  the  future  of  the  Germans  in  America,  and  how 
the  Englishman  feared  that  this  hardy,  industrious 
race  would  yet  surpass  the  English  and  take  from 
them  their  dominion  over  the  continent. 

"Such  language  from  the  mouth  of  so  intelligent  a 
man.  might  make  us  very  proud,"  said  Catherine. 


THE    GERMAN    PIONEERS  249 

"So  I  thought  too,"  said  Lambert.  "And  yet, 
when  I  reflect  upon  it  more  fully  it  makes  me  quite 
sad." 

"How  do  you  mean,  Lambert.^" 

"I  mean  the  industry,  the  pains,  the  labor,  the 
strength,  the  courage,  the  energy,  we  must  use  t,o 
carry  it  so  far  here  will  be  such  that  they  might  per- 
haps better  remain  in  the  old  home.  As  you  have 
painted  your  father  to  me,  mild,  generous,  helpful, 
learned;  such  as  was  my  father,  quick,  decided,  look- 
ing far  ahead;  such  as  was  Uncle  Ditmar,  unbend- 
ing, stern  and  refractory;  such  as  was  our  noble  Con- 
rad and  Aunt  Ursul.  What  precious  blood  this  new 
land  has  already  drunk  and  in  the  future  will  drink ! 
And  does  it  produce  the  right  fruit  from  the  costly 
seed  ?  I  know  not.  Granted  that  we  attain  all  which 
our  old  friend  promises  us  -though  it  sounds  like  a 
fable — but  granted  that  we  reach  it,  and  that  we 
should  once  have  to  divide  the  rich  inheritance  with 
the  English,  should  we  remain  Germans?  I  doubt 
it,  and  you  yourself,  Catherine,  have  taught  me  to  be 
doubtful.  What  would  I  be  without  you.?  And  you  had 
to  come  to  me  from  the  old  home — could  come  only 
from  the  old  home.  In  your  soul  there  sounds  a  deeper, 
purer  tone,  just  as  in  the  beautiful  songs  that  you 
brought  over  with  you.  Will  a  still  deeper  tone  sound 
in  the  souls  of  our  children.?  What  will  be  their  con- 
dition should  it  die  out.?" 

Lambert  was  silent.     Catherine  leaned  her  head  on 


250  THE   GERMAN    PIONEERS 

his  shoulder.     She  found  no  answer  to   a  question 
that  had  already  filled  her  breast  with  sad  anxiety. 

"And  so,"  Lambert  continued,  "my  heart  is  divided 
into. two  parts.  To-morrow,  when  the  old  friend 
comes,  I  will  go  out  with  him  into  the  woods  and  show 
him  the  way  by  which  those  who  are  to  come  must 
go,  and  point  out  the  places  where  they  must  build 
their  huts.  But'  as  for  myself,  I  would  rather  tear 
down  the  huts  and  take  you  and  the  children — how 
goes  the  song,  Catherine,  with  which  you  just  now 
sung  our  boy  to  sleep,  the  dear,  old  song,  out  of  the 
dear,  old  home — 

''Were  I  a  wild  falcon, 
I  would  soar  aloft." 

And  he  pointed  toward  the  east  where,  in  the  holy 
mother-arms  of  the  dark  night,  the  glory  of  the  com- 
ing day  was  slumbering. 


THE    END 


^ . ^ 

PHARAOH'S  TREASURE, 

12mo,  355  Pages.     Paper  Cover. 


/i  DYING  F.GYPTIAN'  gives  into  the  custody  of  an  adventurous  young 
American  a  manuscript  which  the  Egyptian  had  found  iti  a  tomb  in 
Egypt,  and  which  manuscript  the  Egyptian  declared  ivas  to  have  made  him 
fahulously  rich,  had  he  lived  to  unravel  its  secret. 

This  manuscript  becomes  the  means  of  opening  up  to  the  eyes  of  the  reader 
mar7.'elous  and  startling  discoveries  in  the  rocky  chambers  of  the  pyramids  and  of 
breathing  the  breath  of  life  into  the  wrinkled  fnummies  of  men  and  women  who 
lived  and  loved  and  languished  in  the  palmy  days  of  Egyptian  grandeur. 

That  was  a  more  voluptuous  age,  and  its  men  and  women  of  a  more  sensuous 
race  than  ours,  and  the  author  has  pictwed  the  passionate  scenes  of  love  and  hate 
accordingly. 

The  heroine  of  the  story,  Athene,  is  a  lovely  and  lovable  '■haracter.  She  had 
the  misfortune  to  be  lo-'cd  at  the  same  time  by  the  king,  the  king's  son  and  the 
king's  brother,  and  to  be  intensely  hated  and  plotted  against  by  the  king's  brother  s 
siceetheart — the  beautiful  but  too  passionate  Uarta,  the  Alurs  daughter. 

The  story  is  full  from  cover  to  cover  of  thrilling  adventures,  marvelous 
revelations  and  passionate  scenes  of  love  and  hatred. 

While  Pharaoh's  Treasure  is  perfectly  unique  in  its  character,  it  smacks  some- 
what  of  the  weird  nature  of  Rider  Haggard' s  "  She"  and  Jule  Verne's  '^Around 
the  World  in  Eighty  Days. '^ 

For  sale  "by  all  Booksellers  and  Newsdealers,  or  will  be  sent  by  the 
Publishers  on  receipt  of  Price. 


DONOHUE.   HENNKBERRY  &  CO.,   F»citHls»lnersi, 
407  to  426  Dearborn  Street,  CHICAGO. 

^ — —-* 


THE  TRAGEDIES  OF  OAK  HuRST, 


13mo,  401  Pages.    Pai»t'i  Covci 


A  Thrilling  Roman^je  of  the  Smim  Sqithland. 


^/   ^///'.    /../i,'^//.      .'/      <ac      ..u'^j     ,-     a/i     lUiui    type     OJ     ,,ui     ,tcU,,cU      .0i'f,cu,i,ii'i'u 

sJiield  her  fat  Iter  from  exposure  and  pinT^m^^ift  for  a  crime  of  wJii 
siipposcii  111  in  to  be  guilty,  but  of  lukJch  he  ivas  entiiely  innocent,  she  consent 
elopement  and  marriage  zvith  a  mein  she  despises,  on  the  very  t-re  fixed  for  her 
iveddiiig  toith  the  fiian  she  loves.     Iler  father  and  betiothed  are  ignorant  of  the 
cause  of  her  strange  conduct,  .nud  believe   her  to  be  gnilfv  of  barterim:  he) self 
for  gr>ld. 

7'he  story,  as  its  title  indicates,  is  filled  with  thrilling  incidents  of  a  tragic 
character,  vjherein  alljhe  pathos  incident  to  the  endearing  relations  of  parent  and 
child^  lover  and  stt'eetheart,  is  revealed  in  a  manner  to  maJ.e  the  mir    ''""■  -"'"  ■'•  ■' 
xvith  sm'li's  inevitable  to  errer^'  reader. 

For   said  "tjy  all  Booksellors  aud  Ne wadealei s,  or  will  be  «  nt  ty  the 
PublisherB  on  receipt  of  Price- 


407  to  425  Dearborn  Street,  OHICAQO. 


